Listening Post

BORTNICK HERE TONIGHT — Ethan Bortnick will be performing a live concert at 6 p.m. tonight, Thursday, Sept. 18, at the Folley Theater. As of Monday tickets were still available. You may remember he was the

{mprestriction ids="1"}featured attraction at Chabad House’s 40th anniversary celebration a few years ago. Performing along with the 13-year-old pianist, singer, composer and entertainer is “Glee” and Celtic Thunder star Damian McGinty. For ticket information, call 816-474-4444.  

TEENS TO STAND WITH ISRAEL — Jewish teenagers maintain a large sense of Jewish pride, but when confronted by Anti-Israel Groups, teens often don’t know how to respond. In the past few years the Boycott, Divest and Sanction (BDS) movement has become increasingly popular, especially on college campuses. To empower teens to have the tools to respond, StandWithUs, an organization “dedicated to informing the public about Israel and to combating the extremism and anti-Semitism that often distorts the issues” is presenting a program so Jewish teens can learn to defend themselves when confronted with anti-Israel media and BDS supporters. This program is sponsored by NCSY, USY, BBYO and the Hyman Brand Hebrew Academy. All teens in ninth to 12th grades are encouraged to attend this free event at 7 p.m. Monday, Sept. 22, in the MAC room at the Jewish Community Campus. For more information contact Rachel Prero at .

CONSUL GENERAL TO SPEAK — The International Relations Council, in partnership with the Jewish Community Relations Bureau|American Jewish Committee, will present The Honorable Roey Gilad, Consul General of Israel to the Midwest, Tuesday, Sept. 30. His presentation “Israel: Facing the New Challenges of the Middle East” begins at 6 p.m. at St. Thomas the Apostle Episcopal Church in the Parish Hall, 12251 Antioch Road, Overland Park, KS. The prepared program is scheduled to conclude at 7:30 p.m., to be followed by a networking and refreshments from 7:30 to 8:30 p.m. This program is free and open to the public. An optional $5 donation, to be paid online or at the event, will be accepted to cover administrative costs. Register by Sept. 28 at www.irckc.org/event/Israel or by calling 816-221-4204.

JERUSALEM AS YOU HAVE NEVER SEEN IT! — The movie “JERUSALEM” is scheduled to open its run in Kansas City tomorrow, Sept. 19, at the Regnier Extreme Screen Theatre at Union Station. It’s slated to conclude its nine-week run Friday, Nov. 21. Ticket information is available at the Union Station website http://www.unionstation.org/events/jerusalem. Filmed in 3D for IMAX® and giant screen theatres, “JERUSALEM” immerses audiences into one of the world’s most beloved cities. Discover why this tiny piece of land is sacred to three major religions through the stories of Jewish, Christian and Muslim families who call Jerusalem home. National Geographic films was given unprecedented access to the city’s holiest sites, as well as rare and breathtaking aerial footage of the Old City and the Holy Land. I’m told “JERUSALEM” is a unique and stunning cinematic experience.

You may remember back in March, BIAV lent a Sefer Torah to a new shul in a small community off the coast of Mexico, Isla Mujeres. Upon traveling in Mexico last week for a ‘vacation’ after finishing five years of service in the IDF, Dov Solomont, 25, of Chashmonaim, Israel, happened upon the Chabad House and was very excited to see the inscription on the Torah cover. He immediately recognized Overland Park and BIAV as where he has visited and has family. Solomont, along with his family, made Alyiah in July 2002. He is the grandson of Judi and David Solomont and the nephew of Adina and Norman Glass, all of Overland Park. Solomont is shown here with Isla Mujeres Chabad’s Rabbi Mendy.

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