Chabad of South Browards Annual Dinner!

It was a magical evening celebrating the opening of the South Broward Friendship Circle, a phenomenal social service program that teams up local teenage volunteers with children and teenagers with special needs.

Mr Andre “The Hawk” Dawson, the only baseball player inducted in the 2010 Class of Baseball Players in the Baseball Hall of Fame, in Cooperstown, NY, shrine to America’s favorite Pastime, joined child prodigy Ethan Bortnick, “The Child of the Decade” at Chabad of South Broward’s 30th Annual Dinner this past Sunday at Chabad of South Broward Headquarters in Hallandale Beach, Florida. The Dinner was held at the Max and Eve Rubenstein Main Sanctuary.

Mr Dawson, a Hall of Famer on and off the field, received The Humanitarian of the Year Award, for his vast array of communal involvement, as Ethan Bortnick received The Child of the Decade Award, as a tribute to the millions of dollars he has raised for Hospitals and other charities around the world. Ethan was appointed as the inaugural Chairman of the South Broward Friendship Circle.

Also honored at the gala evening was Endi Tennenhaus, who received the Eishes Chayil – Woman of Valor Award.
Rebbitzen Tennenhaus is the Co-Director of Chabad of Northeast Hollywood and Dania, Co-Director of Camp Gan Israel of South Broward, and Director of the Chai Tots Preschool that has grown by leaps and bounds, with 70 children enrolled and100 children on the waiting list. An expansion of the Chai Tots Preschool is the next step in the growth of an exceptional program that serves as a model to other Preschools in South Florida. In a very unassuming manner, Endi has mentored and assisted Directors of other local Preschools and new Preschools, helping their Programs be “top of the line”, and the core foundation of Jewish education to many hundreds of children.

Parent of the Year Suzanne Friedman was honored for her dedication to the growth of the Hallandale Hebrew Club and its affiliates, the Bar and Bat Mitzvah Clubs, and the Mothers and Daughters and Fathers and Sons Programs. These programs reach out to the most unaffiliated children in the Jewish community, connecting them and their families to their precious and timeless heritage.

Broward County Sheriff al Lamberti, addressed the Dinner Guests, expressing his commitment to partner once again with Project PRIDE, Chabad’s very successful Drug Prevention and Education Program.

Mr Jeff Rubenstein, son of Mr and Mrs Max and Eve Rubenstein, was honored with reciting Hamotzie on the Ceremonial Challah.

Hundreds of guests participated in the 30th Annual Dinner, including many community leaders, Mayor Joy Cooper of Hallandale Beach, Chaplain Rick Braswell, Mr Alan Berkowitz and Mr Michael Calderon of the Broward County Sheriff’s office, and Shluchim from all over South Broward including Rabbi Moshe Schwartz, Rabbi Dovid Kudan, Rabbi Yossy Lebovics, Rabbi Yossy Korf, Rabbi Pinny Andrusier, Reb Aaron Kaufman, Rabbi Mendy Tennenhaus, Rabbi Leizer Barash, Rabbi Mordy Feiner, Rabbi Isser Dovid Silverman, Rabbi Zalman Korf, and Rabbi Adi Goodman.

Chabad of South Broward’s Chief Consultant Rabbi Abba Perelmuter, Shliach of Shul by the Shore In Long Beach California, helped coordinate the Dinner, and was presented with a birthday cake, along with Chaya Aydel Seminary student Moussia Azoulay from France.

Seminary student Riva Goldwasser, from Pittsburgh, eloquently spoke and delivered a beautiful Dvar Torah, representing the Seminary student body.

Featured entertainment was Ethan Bortnick, who included in his musical selections the traditional and Mozart editions of “Take Me Out To The Ballgame”. When Andre Dawson received his Award, he was greeted with a standing ovation, as the music played the old Montreal Expos theme song, the original team Andre played for, and the team that he represents in the Hall of Fame.

Master of Ceremonies at the Dinner was Rabbi Mendy Tennenhaus, reading the Rebbe’s letter ( to an earlier dinner in 5752, the last letter the Rebbe signed after the going to the Mikvah and before going to the Ohel on 27 Adar 1, 5752) was Rabbi Levi Tennenhaus, and Tehillim was recited by Rabbi Yossy Lebovics.

The Dinner ended and 9PM , and Rabbi Raphael Tennenhaus closed out the Dinner by thanking all those who helped, and emphasizing that “Thirty represents strentgth, and our 30th Annual Dinner must give us the strength to do more, including the opening of the new social service program, the South Broward Friendship Circle.”

Chabad of South Broward are recognized leaders in Jewish education, social services and outreach. It is headed by Rabbi and Mrs Raphael and Goldie Tennenhaus. For all Dinner Pictures and Program Information, please log on to Chabadsouthbroward.com. For more information and to volunteer for the South Broward Friendship Circle, please log on to Sbfriendshipcircle.com.