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By Joshua Runyan · November 8, 2011 Hundreds
of Washington powerbrokers, insiders and other VIPs gathered at the
elegant East Hall of the capital’s Union Station for the annual benefit
event in support of American Friends of Lubavitch.
Connecticut Sen. Joseph Lieberman offers a
toast at the annual benefit event in support of American Friends of
Lubavitch (Chabad), which was held last week at the elegant East Hall
of Washington, D.C.’s Union Station.
Rabbis Levi Shemtov, left, executive vice president of American Friends
of Lubavitch (Chabad), and Abraham Shemtov, chairman of the worldwide
umbrella organization of Chabad-Lubavitch, converse with House Minority
Whip Steny Hoyer (D-Md.). A featured item on the D.C. Jewish
community’s social calendar, the gala event attracted dozens of members
of Congress from both sides of the aisle, ambassadors, and leaders from
an array of political, business, academic and communal entities. Among
the evening’s corporate sponsors was the Coca-Cola Company, which
supplied all of its products for the night.
House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio), left,
received the evening’s Leadership Award. In his remarks, he stressed
that support of Israel is a bipartisan cause.
The event, which was chaired by
Chabad-Lubavitch Rabbi Levi Shemtov, honored prominent philanthropists
Louis Mayberg, president of ProFund Advisors LLC, and his wife Manette
Mayberg, a successful former businesswoman who went on to raise her
family and now dedicates much of her time and energy to Jewish causes.
Nechama Shemtov speaks from the podium.
Rabbis Abraham Shemtov and Levi Shemtov
presented former U.S. Ambassador to the European Union Stuart Eizenstat
with a silver menorah at the dinner. Eizenstat was instrumental in
securing White House support for American Friends of Lubavitch’s annual
Chanukah menorah lighting.
In keeping with the bipartisan nature of
the evening, House Minority Whip Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) introduced House
Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio).
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