No place like home

St. Louis Moishe House is back in business. In June, nearly a year after residents of the former local Moishe House in Ladue moved out, four young Jewish professionals in their 20s took up residence in the new Moishe House in University City.

“It’s been terrific,” says Galvè Deleste, 23, one of the four living in the five-bedroom, four-bath house in U. City. “Growing up Jewish in Webster Groves, I wasn’t that involved in the Jewish community and didn’t have many Jewish friends outside of Temple Israel, where we belong. I got more involved in the Jewish community at Trinity College (in San Antonio, Texas) and when I moved back to St. Louis, and after my Birthright Trip in January, I really liked the idea of living someplace where I could help create a community.”

Moishe House in a non-denominational, pluralistic Jewish organization geared to young adults in their 20s, which operates homes throughout the United States and in some parts of Australia, Europe and South America. The group first opened a house in St. Louis in 2008. In exchange for hosting a certain number of events each month, the organization subsidizes a percentage of residents’ rent.

Earlier this year, Jason Boschan, Moishe House director of marketing and communications, explained that it isn’t unusual for Moishe House residents in any one city to move out of a house around the same time. He noted that young adults in their 20s tend to be transient by nature, and often move for job opportunities elsewhere.

Deleste, who is a wine and spirit representative for Southern Glazer, said he had looked at other local Jewish housing options, such as Next Dor in the Central West End, but decided on Moishe House because “we have a huge resource pool from Moishe House International. We also have a number of foundations as well as Moishe House that help fund our events.

“In August, (Moishe House International) is flying us all to (B’nai B’rith) Beber Camp in Wisconsin for a long weekend so we can meet one another and learn about the programs we are doing.”

Deleste says the local Moishe House hosts about five to seven events each month. “Organizing them is like a part time job,” he adds, “but we usually get a great turnout and they are a lot of fun.”

Pokémon Go (elsewhere)

I don’t know anything about Pokémon, or the latest craze, Pokémon Go, which everyone seems to be talking about. But according to Vox.com, Pokémon Go, a free app that can be downloaded, uses your smartphone’s GPS and clock to detect where and when you are in the game and make Pokémon “appear” around you (on your phone screen) so you can go and catch these creatures. 

As you move around, different types of Pokémon will appear depending on where you are and what time it is. The idea is to encourage players to travel around the real world to catch Pokémon in the game.

Now Pokémon are popping up everywhere, including in the St. Louis Jewish community. So far, PokéStops (designated landmarks where players can get tools for the game) have been cited at the Jewish Federation building, Covenant Place, the Holocaust Museum and Learning Center and the Jewish Community Center. 

In fact, the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, D.C. is requesting that smartphone users refrain from “catching” Pokémon when they are inside the museum. Museum Communications Director Andrew Hollinger told the Washington Post that officials are trying to reach game developers to get the museum removed as a prominent PokeStop location. Hollinger says playing the game seems disrespectful, especially while visitors are inside the Hall of Remembrance.

D’ya think?

The devil is back

Best-selling author Lauren Weisberger (“The Devil Wears Prada”) will be in St. Louis for a book signing and Q&A event at 7 p.m. July 21 at the Chesterfield Athletic Club, 16625 Swingley Ridge Road, to promote her latest and sixth novel, “The Singles Game”  (Simon & Schuster, $26). The book is described as “a dishy tell-all about a beautiful tennis prodigy who turns pro and joins the world’s best players, traveling 11 months a year, competing without mercy for Grand Slam titles and making headlines on and off the court.” 

Tickets, which include a chance to win door prizes, are $35 for admission to the program, plus a book, or $50 for admission for two to the program, plus a book. They are available at brownpapertickets.com. The event is being presented by “Meet Me in St. Louis,” a not-for-profit arts and speakers series.

Fashionistas unite

Congrats to Amy Gallant of St. Louis, who along with 34 other Jewish fashion industry mavens from around the world was selected to travel to Israel to connect with its fashion leaders later this month.

Gallant, who taught elementary and middle school for the last 30 years, recently opened a mobile fashion boutique. “FashionVanGo,” a retrofitted bread truck, roves the St. Louis area, showcasing Gallant’s wares, which include one-of-a-kind clothing, jewelry and accessories. The mobile boutique visits offices, malls, restaurants, private parties and any place where stylish women gather.

The trip, organized by the Maryland-based Jewish Women’s Renaissance Project (JWRP) and Israel’s Ministry of Diaspora Affairs, will also bring the women to key spots on Israel’s fashion map, from the TLVstyle fashion boutique tour and the “Fash-Tech” co-work space WMN for women entrepreneurs in Tel Aviv, to jewelry and fashion designers in Jerusalem. This special trip, which is the first of many planned industry-specific trips aimed to bring Jewish values to key influencers in society, will also feature a JWRP Fashion Week event in Tel Aviv with leading Israeli fashion names.

“I am so excited not only to learn and network with everyone in Israel, but also traveling with fashion photographers, bloggers, entrepreneurs and others in the industry,” said Gallant, who lives in Chesterfield and belongs to Congregation Shaare Emeth.

She explained that after she retired from teaching, she wanted a business that blended her passion for fashion and shopping and “things that sparkle.” So she came up with the idea of a mobile boutique, which also can be booked for corporate or business events and private parties at fashionvango.com

“What I carry is unique,” said Gallant. “You won’t see yourself coming and going in our clothes and jewelry.”

Adult diaper drive

To help celebrate its 30^th anniversary, Cooperative Home Care (CHC) is hosting an Adult Diaper Drive through Sunday at the Jewish Community Center, 2 Millstone Campus Drive. Donation boxes will be available at the East, West and South entrances.

According to the agency, more than 13 million adults in the United States experience urinary incontinence. There is not a dedicated adult diaper bank in Missouri, and the demand for adult diapers is high, as Medicare does not cover incontinence supplies or adult diapers, and food stamps do not pay for adult diapers. 

The diaper drive kicks off CHC’s “Serving and Celebrating in our 30^th Year” campaign, which will marks its 30 years in business by participating in 30 service events in St. Louis and surrounding counties. Donations are also being accepted at CHC’s website at stldiaperbank.org.