A HARD DAY'S NIGHT EARNS 65K!
Karen Hirsch
Auction Committee Chair
It was a Hard Day’s Night and after working like a dog, the Auction Team raised over $65,000, more than a 34 percent increase over last year. A huge todah rabah to our corporate and Kol Shofar member sponsors, board and staff support, volunteers and the Mitzvah Committee for our success. It’s (definitely) Getting Better All the Time!
Beatlemania month closed with a rock-out event: our Kol Shofar 10th Annual Fund-Raiser, Magical Mitzvah Tour, at the JCC’s Hoytt Theater, on Sunday, March 30. This year’s event proved that All You Need Is Love plus a tzedakah-minded community to Come Together and give generously. The evening was magical and successful—a regular love-fest with all of the proceeds from the raffle and auction sales going directly towards our CKS operating expenses, Beit Binah and Tichon.
Over 180 Beatlenuts reached far back into the darkest corners of their closets and turned up in all kinds of 60s hip and mod garb from pink hair and white hot pants, embroidered bell bottom jeans, fringed leather vests, peace symbols, headbands, “Make Love Not War” buttons and flowers in their hair, to Indian jackets and African dashikis. To complete the 60s mood, giant jewel-tone peace symbols illuminated the walls, mirrored lights spun around the room, the tables were clothed with tie-dyed fabric and Max Meyers, our DJ, played an awesome mix of Beatles tunes throughout the evening.
From five o’clock on, Kendall-Jackson wine flowed, sumptuous hors d‘oeuvres were munched and Shofarniks shopped. During the silent auction our emcee, the hilarious Bruce Raful (looking spiffy in a matching tie-dye t-shirt and kippah, jeans and tux jacket) asked everyone to Stop in the Name of Love and Take Five. Who should appear on stage? John/Paul/George/Ringo, sounding authentic, but looking suspiciously like our very own guitar playing rock star Rabbi Chai Levy and her husband Roger Studley. Everyone looked to his/her neighbor and said I Wanna Hold Your Hand. Arms waved in unison, voices joined in chorus and good vibes filled the room to Chai’s version of Let It Be / Kol Shofar Community. It was definitely the place to Be In!
After more schmoozing and silent bidding, the Auction Committee was invited en masse to lead Hamotzi, and everyone prayed It Won’t Be Long before we sit down to eat! The live auction was hosted by Howard Zack and enhanced because Every Picture Tells a Story, Don’t It?
A slideshow and lively sound bites accompanied each item description in addition to donors like gallery owner Susan Snyder, radio celeb Celeste Krepack and California Closets’ Lisa Vidergauz further detailing each item’s value. Lots of excitement was generated, resulting in live auction sales totaling over $14,000! Ob La Di!
The crowd then feasted on a Delicious! (our caterer) bountiful buffet, Galaxy desserts, Charles Chocolates and specialty coffees served by Mark and Rachel Kaplan at the Western Espresso, Inc., coffee bar. Many of our Kol Shofar Beatlemaniacs continued to party on, dancing to Rock and Roll Music until it was time to vacate the facility, but well before the sun rose on another Day in the Life!
Click on the photo below to access our photo gallery, then click on the thumbnails to get the full size. See who you can recognize! |
