Last evening, the Manhattan Sephardic Congregation held its 21st Annua Lag Ba’Omerl Dinner. The venue was the Museum of Jewish Heritage next to Manhattan’s Battery Park. It started with a very nice smorgasboard, befitting the occasion and the venue, combined with a superb selection of top wines and other potables. The main speaker at the dinner was Harav Joseph Sitruk SHLIT”A – Chief Rabbi of France – who flew in specifically for this weekend’s events at the Congregation.
Rabbi Raphael Benchimol translating Rabbi Joseph Sitruk's words from French
Also in attendance were Morocco’s Consul Général M. Mohamed Karmoune…
Mr. Mohamed Karmoune
and the President of the Jewish Community of Marrakesh, Jackie Kadosh…
Rabbi Jackie Kadosh
Immediately after Rabbi Sitruk’s speech, Rabbi Benchimol presented Irving Schild (who was not expecting it), with a plaque for his being one of the founders of Manhattan Sephardic Congretation and for his years’ long dedication to it.
Irving and Regina Schild
The dinner was a fund raiser for both the building fund and the yearly operating expenses. Mr. Schild donated 5 photos which he had taken during the Congregation’s trip to Morocco a couple of year’s back. They were auctioned off fetching a total of $36,000, one of them selling at the princely sum of $26,000. All in all the expected goals were more than met.
The food, the presentation was very nice, especially that roast beef. I wish I knew who the caterer was.
At the end of the evening, Irving Schild was presented with yet another surprise. They brought him a cake commemorating his 80th birthday, it had a little camera and a tiny little man sitting atop of it…
Delicious chocolate cake!
Though I am not a member of the Congregation, nor am I of Sephardic extraction myself, I found the people I’d met last week – at Sidney and Tammy Cohen’s – very warm and friendly and I even made some new friends at this dinner. This is a true tribute to the Congregation’s members and to the values Rabbi Benchimol teaches and manages to instill in his congregants.
CS
The Kosher Scene 
Wow this takes me way down memory lane. You took such great shots of the guests!
Believe it or not, we had a good life in Morocco, and we forged meaningful and valuable relationships with quite a few Moroccans. I feel nostalgic almost to the point of crying!
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