The Middlesex Black-Jewish Coalition (MBJC) will host an “Open Mic Night” fundraising event on Sunday, October 3, from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. The event will be held in Pino’s Gift Basket Shoppe, Wine Cellar & Lounge, 13 North 4th Avenue in Highland Park, New Jersey. Karen Krause, a Highland Park resident and former comic and improv actress, will be the emcee for the occasion.
There is no fee for attending or performing but there is a $15 suggested donation per person. All proceeds from the event will benefit two local organizations that serve the community:
HP Gives A Hoot, a nonprofit fund created by the Borough of Highland Park to contribute to the well-being of the town’s children in need. They provide free groceries, school supplies, scholarships to summer camp and mentoring services.
Jewish Family Services of Middlesex County, a nonprofit human services agency serving individuals and families throughout the county. The agency is committed to “empowering people of all races, ethnicities and religions” through a variety of services such as counseling, support to seniors, food pantry, and immigration and citizenship assistance.
Leaders of both organizations will be in attendance and will share a few words about their organization’s essential community work.
During this family-friendly event, participants of all ages are encouraged to sign up to perform a song, play an instrument, read poetry or prose, do a comedy bit or display any other talent. Sign up begins at 4:30 p.m. and the show will start promptly at 5 p.m.
In addition to fundraising, another intended benefit of the event is community building. One of the goals of MBJC is to encourage communication and understanding between communities in Middlesex County. MBJC believes that an excellent way to accomplish this is to have some fun together.
The mission of the Middlesex County Black Jewish Coalition is to increase the understanding of, and interaction between, Jewish and Black people through dialogue and programming. They advocate on an ad-hoc basis for action on particular issues of concern to the Jewish and Black communities, and provide a mechanism whereby each community can express its support for the critical issues of the other community.
For more information on this event, please email: [email protected].
