An unprecedented group of the leading personalities in Jewish life, including the dean of Jewish cantors and the Chief Rabbi Emeritus of Israel, will join for a historic Shabbat on November 6-8 at the luxurious Sheraton Parsippany – www.sheratonparsippany.com in New Jersey. The event, sponsored by the Arad Foundation, will include Cantor I.M. Helfgot, Chief Rabbi Yisrael Meir Lau, Ambassador Ido Aharoni, Malcolm Hoenlein, Alan Dershowitz, and Hank Sheinkopf.
Organizers of the Shabbat with the Stars say that the guests will enjoy a Shabbat of multiple dimensions including the ultimate in cantorial renditions by Cantor I.M. Helfgot, highlighted by a special concert on Saturday night. The keynote address will be delivered by Chief Rabbi Yisrael Meir Lau, author of the bestselling “Out of the Depths.” In a series of panels and presentations, the assembled will hear firsthand reports from some of the most prominent Jewish leaders on the major issues facing Jews worldwide. They will include Malcolm Hoenlein, Executive Vice Chairman of the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations and recognized as one of the foremost Jewish leaders of our time; Ambassador Ido Aharoni, Consul General of Israel in New York; Alan Dershowitz, an American lawyer, jurist, author, and political commentator and a leading Jewish voice of reason; and Hank Sheinkopf, a leading mentor to the spiritually afflicted. The venue for this extraordinary event will be The Sheraton Parsippany, the first-rate luxurious hotel. Guests will enjoy the highly celebrated haute cuisine of Greenwald caterers.
Arad is a small but vibrant city in the Negev of 27,000 residents, of whom approximately 45 percent are immigrants from various countries but principally Ethiopia and the former Soviet Union. In many ways Arad is a model of cooperation and co-existence. A mix of cultures and traditions, Chasidic, Modern Orthodox and secular Jews mingle in harmony in Arad.
The Arad Foundation is a non-profit organization established in 1992, devoted to enhancing the quality of life for the residents of the City of Arad and the northeastern Negev region. Primarily focused on education, health and social welfare, the Arad Foundation spearheads projects that will ultimately benefit all of the area residents, regardless of their cultural or religious background. Founded by the dynamic former Deputy Mayor of Arad, Avraham Kaminer, the
Arad Foundation has benefited from his foresight as the developer of original and imaginative solutions for this unique city. The Arad Foundation enjoys staunch support from a broad base of partners, including governmental bodies such as the National Insurance Institute, the Welfare Ministry, Health Ministry, Municipal Offices as well as a wide array of philanthropists and foundations from around the world. The Foundation’s arm in the UK, The British Friends of Arad, chaired by the eminent Sir Ian Gainsford, is a particularly strong source of ongoing support for the Foundation’s mission of transforming Arad into a thriving city.
The Shabbat with the Stars will help the Foundation complete such projects as a
Nephrology/Dialysis Unit, and the Arad Care Complex for families with children who have learning disabilities and/or physical and mental handicaps. The Arad Care Complex, an all-inclusive early childhood campus, will serve 1,000 children a year, providing top-quality remedial support, paramedical services such as occupational therapy, physical therapy, and hydro-therapy, after-school programs for disadvantaged children, and mother and baby wellness care. The building is currently in the advanced planning stages and has attained a lead gift of $1.5 million from a USA-based foundation, as well as $800,000 from the National Insurance Institute and a pledge of $400,000 from the British Friends of Arad.
For more information and to make a reservation please call 718-298-3805 or visit: www.shabbatwiththestars.com.
