Dinner Celebrates More Than Glitz

By COLlive reporter
Photos: Chaim Ezagui

The Jewish Children’s Museum’s 8th anniversary celebration certainly made a splash, when it closed off the Crown Heights neighborhood’s central Kingston Avenue on Wednesday.

People from around New York City arrived at the large tent, nestled between the museum and Lubavitch Headquarters, for an evening that began indoors with drinks and a hot buffet.

And while it felt lavish, speakers were quick to remind that the event was about way more than that.

“The Jewish Children’s Museum is a living example of tolerance of all, regardless of social or economic status or faith. Each child is valued as a future leader and contribution,” said the director Rabbi Yerachmiel Benjaminson.

Zi Xuan Liu, a Chinese born 4th grader at local PS 105 who recently visited the museum as part of a class trip, said: “Before we came, we discussed stereotypes and how you can’t judge people by how they look. I learned about the 6 days of creation and how G-d rested on the 7th day.”

She described giving coins to charity at one exhibit and writing notes for Israel in another. “I learned that a good deed can change the world, I learned to give charity, and to have respect for all people,” she said.

That is what impressed Ofer Cohen and Adam Hess, respectively founder and Senior Vice President of Terra Commercial Realty Group, which specializes in Brooklyn real estate.

The two, who were honored with the Community Builders Award, said they are proud to support what has by now become a Brooklyn cultural and educational landmark.

“I like Crown Heights because you have very diverse communities. The museum adds a lot to the neighborhood. Someone who gives a gift to the museum can visit in 20 years, 30 years and will see their gift still enriching people’s lives,” Hess said.

ANSWER TO TERROR

With more than 1.5 million visiting since its opening, Rabbi Benjaminson said it was time to bring the show to the people, with the soon to be launched “Great Jewish Big Rig”, a 50 ft. wheeled truck to bring the joyful celebration of Judaism to all.

“The Jewish Children’s Museum was once a dream, a temporary exhibit in the Javits Center, now it’s a landmark,” noted the MC, Greg Kelly, host of Fox 5’s Good Day NY.

His father, New York City Police Commissioner Ray Kelly, was honored as well, pointing out the outstanding work at the museum to promote tolerance of others and the Jewish faith.

“With terrorism the way it is now, the work of the museum is as important as ever today,” stated Kelly who oversees some 1,000 officers on counter-terrorism work alone.

Just last week, his police force visited Phantom Fireworks which sold fireworks to the Boston Marathon bombers. “We work with thousands of business owners to report to us and stop plots before they start,” he said.

And speaking of opposing evil, Kelly hailed the work of Mrs. Devorah Halberstam, Director of Foundation & Government Services at the museum, whose son was murdered by a Lebanese terrorist in a shooting on the Brooklyn Bridge in 1994.

“She has devoted herself to making the world a better place in Ari’s name, and she has succeeded,” Kelly said about Halberstam. “She pushed for Ari’s law, which was passed thanks to her persistence. She’s been a tremendous ally for law enforcement and an inspiration to all in public safety.”

In response, Halberstam warmly thanked the NYPD for their work. “We do not capitulate to the blackmail of terrorism. That’s what makes America strong,” she said.

“Tonight, we are standing at the epicenter of Ari’s world. With everything that was important to him – in the place he grew up, with his friends and family. Ari taught us that sports are universal. Unfortunately terrorism is also,” Halberstam said.

One of Ari’s schoolmates, Lipa Lieberman, a Crown Heights resident and vice president at Eastern Consolidated, was honored with the Chesed Award at the event.

“I was friends with Ari,” Lieberman said. “We were friends in school, we played basketball together. I believe that the Jewish Children’s Museum exemplifies Ari’s life. He was always doing good deeds in a happy way.”

Lieberman praised the efforts of the Jewish Children’s Museum, saying, “True understanding and tolerance comes with proper education. I feel like there’s no other museum like this in the world which teaches all people of all faiths what it means to be a Jew.”