Nissan Residence in Tenafly, NJ/ Maoz Lev

11. March 2013 · Comments Off · Categories: Community Dinner, ELEM, ELEM-Entry NY, ELEM-Entry NY Activists, Erim Balayla, Events, Israel, Musicians, Prostitution, Volunteers

Tenafly New Jersey is a quite little town situated to the North West of Manhattan just North of the remarkable double decked George Washington Bridge. On a snowy night in Early March 2013, 17 Israelis gathered at the beautiful home of Dorit and Daniel (Danny) Nissan. The very unique Israeli community that grew by leaps and bounds in the Tenafly area includes many Israelis in the hi-tech industry as well as medical, diamond, real estate, financial professionals and more. The Nissans were able to gather a sizeable group of young couples who came to a special evening to support ELEM-Entry New York. What made this event even more special is that a number of other homes in the NY area hosted at the exact same time similar events. The venue included a wonderful gourmet home cooked meal, a lecture and a movie about ELEM’s “Awake at Night” program to alleviate Israeli child prostitution problem.

The hosts opened their beautiful home and prepared a remarkable dinner.
Danny was attending to the grill in the back yard in the middle of an unexpected snowy night. While looking at Danny in between the large falling snow flakes, Nirel and Maoz assisted Dorit the host in preparing the condiments and appetizers and setting the screening room. At the same time Maia Karo, a beautiful and talented young singer, and Daniel Meron, a remarkable pianist, who also volunteered, were practicing the songs that they will perform for the guests later.

The guests arrived and we all sat in the living room to enjoy some of Dorits’ “Nishnushim”. We provided a short presentation about ELEM and its operations. As always with Israelis the guests wanted to know more and the intense discussion and inquisitive questions were already in full swing. The volunteers had to slow down the momentum and suggested to continue after dinner. Eating seemed to have appealed to the inquisitive crowd and we all shifted to sit down in the beautiful dining room.

Following the meal we all moved to a back room that the hosts pre-arranged. The atmosphere was very cozy as the two performers Maia and Daniel started playing and singing. We paused to allow the discussion about ELEM “Awake at Night” continue. We then watched a movie about the program and continued with some statistics that sparked more questions. The crowd was very concerned and was wondering about the successes of the program and the need to establish continued and permanent government support.

Following the discussion guests provided donations and the evening continued with more of Daniel and Maia’s song performance. Meanwhile Dorit was hard working and prepared some amazing deserts. Dorit is an interior designer and that aspect was evident not just in the home and the set up of the dinner table but also in the remarkable food that she and Danny served.

The evening was a remarkable success. The concern of the guests to the problem touched our hearts.

Thank you Dorit and Danny for opening your home to ELEM “Awake at Night”, for your hospitality for arranging such a great crowd and for your exceptional generosity. Thank you to all the guests that came and donated and interacted to make this evening a remarkable success both in terms of raising awareness and in terms of donating to this worthy cause.

Thank you Maia, Daniel, Nirel and Maoz for your time, dedication and talent.

Chic in service of life saving/ Nitzan Levy

10. March 2013 · Comments Off · Categories: Community Dinner, ELEM, ELEM-Entry NY, ELEM-Entry NY Activists, Erim Balayla, Events, Israel, Prostitution, Volunteers

ELEM-Entry NY’s Community Dinner at Lia Kes’ chic residence in the Upper West Side felt more than anything else THE HOTTEST PLACE to be on the night of March 2nd, 2013. In spite of snowy weather, there was a constant traffic of people throughout the evening: beautiful, talented and interesting individuals, friends of the host and friends of friends, who gathered around to hear about ELEM’s mission.

Lia Kes, a New York acclaimed fashion designer born in Kibbutz Afikim, Israel, has decided to dedicate her giving to young Israeli women who were subjected to abuse of any kind. We first met almost two years ago. Lia was a guest at another community dinner I ran. Throughout the evening Lia asked me many questions about ELEM, its programs, and most specifically about supporting young women. At the end of the evening Lia expressed her wish to become more involved with ELEM and offered to host a community dinner at her house. Our choice to dedicate the proceeds from this dinner to Awake At Night (Erim Balayla) – a program that deals with youth in prostitution had made the host deeply moved. At Lia’s request, the proceeds from her Community Dinner shall be dedicated to the program in Eilat that is dealing mostly with young women who are working as prostitutes in Israel’s southern touristic city.

Lia’s crowd was comprised of guests who came from out the city. They journeyed from Florida, California, Connecticut, North Carolina and New Jersey and are from different country origins American, Israeli, British, Russian and French. They work in a variety of occupations such as investment bankers, visual artists, fashion and jewelry designers, musicians, lawyers, art collectors, film makers, architects, interior designers, real-estate brokers, scientists and entrepreneurs. Our presentation of Awake At Night drew almost each and every one of them to us, the ELEM-Entry NY team Itzik Zur, Lior Brimberg and myself .-They asked questions about the program, expressed their interest in becoming involved and donating their art or professional skills to the cause.

The presentation was followed by a mesmerizing performance of the Israeli song “Confession” (“Viduy” – by Alexander Penn and Sasha Argov) by the graceful jazz vocalist Mor Ben-Yakir,accompanied by pianist Gadi Stern.

On a personal note: To me it’s such events that are encompassing the ELEM-Entry NY mission: to reach out to a broad audience of people, most specifically young professionals and to engage them with our cause of providing ELEM the financial means to treat youth in distress in Israel. That’s what it’s all about!

Nitzan Levy

Chairwoman of ELEM-Entry NY, Young Professionals for Youth in Distress in Israel

Meanwhile, at the Heiman household/ Oren Heiman

10. March 2013 · Comments Off · Categories: Community Dinner, ELEM, ELEM-Entry NY, Erim Balayla, Events, Israel, Musicians, Prostitution

Meanwhile, at the Heiman household, the 6th-in-a-row Community Dinner brought together people from such places as Israel, Australia, New Jersey, Mexico and the exotic island of Manhattan. Spring vegetable and barley soup and a variety of middle eastern salads were followed by green peppers stuffed with veal, quinoa and chestnuts, crowned by a dessert table with no less than 12 different desserts. The host, chef and founder of ELEM-Entry NY and the ELEM Community Dinner project, Oren Heiman, led a discussion on the ‘Erim Balayla’ program and on various other programs, debating whether ELEM budgets should be shifted towards legislation, towards general program or towards specific program dealing with teenagers in the highest level of distress. Elad Kabilio played several solos for cello drawing standing ovations, Ronen helped with cooking, serving the wine and cleaning up and Becky, Oren F., Ron, David, Jacob, Steven, Moty, Sharon, Amit, Eyal, Lindsay and Dan ate, drank, debated and generously supported ELEM’s activities in Israel.

ELEM-Entry NY’s Sixth Community Dinner/ By Mitchell Slepian, ELEM-Entry NY, activist

08. March 2013 · Comments Off · Categories: Community Dinner, ELEM, ELEM-Entry NY, ELEM-Entry NY Activists, Erim Balayla, Events, Israel, Musicians, Prostitution, Volunteers

March 6, 2013

Last weekend, I had the pleasure of coordinating ELEM-Entry NY’s Sixth Community Dinner in the glamorous Upper East Side home of ELEM-Youth in Distress in Israel board member Marilyn Butler. We were there to raise money to help rehabilitate teens lured into Israel’s ever growing teen prostitution population.

Marilyn, a most gracious host, arranged for a delicious meal, featuring salads, salmon, chicken and lots more. Yuval Sheer, ELEM-Entry co-chair emeritus, and his amazing one-year-old son, Leo (the evening’s real star), and I readied things for the intimate gathering.

Yuval asked me to speak about the “Awake at Night” (Erim Bayala) program. Everyone expressed interest in learning about the program and to gain an understanding of why it is so important to make donations.

I showed an alarming video prepared by ELEM-Entry NY, which highlighted a pimp who got caught for forcing teens into the sex trade. The video also showed the efforts Knesset was making in its endeavors in trying to crack down on teen prostitution.

I also talked about how the some of the youngest, more innocent children don’t even get to keep the money they are paid. Instead, they are forced to turn it over to their pimps.

Following our discussion, we were delighted by the musical talents of Israeli up and coming musicians Mika Hary, vocalist, and Dan Nadel, guitar. They played several wonderful songs and then took requests. Our guests, in unison, all asked for a Leonard Cohen song. Mika and Dan broke into an amazing version of “Hallelujah.” All of us joined in. It brought a smile to my face, feeling this unity in the cause to help Israeli kids in need.

It channeled me back to my memories of the “Meet a Star Under Starlight” event and 2011 ELEM Gala Dinner. It featured Israeli Idol winner Diana Golbi, who was rescued by ELEM during her teen years. “Hallelujah” was her encore performance at both events.

This was my fourth Community Dinner. I look forward to my fifth. But I really look forward to the day we can have an ELEM-Entry NY Dinner to celebrate how we eliminated the harsh problems of the children we help rescue in Israel.

Matters of the Heart / Rinat Israelovich

07. March 2013 · Comments Off · Categories: Community Dinner, ELEM, ELEM-Entry NY, ELEM-Entry NY Activists, Events, Israel, Musicians, Prostitution, Volunteers

One windy, snowy, cold Saturday Night in March, in NYC, ….a group of 17 gather on the UWS. 2 hosts, 10 guests including one Elem official (Executive Director-Michelle Carlin & her husband Richard) & 5 ELEM-Entry NY volunteers.

It was our 6th Community Dinner. Sure, we are familiar with the drill, we come prepared & organized; we know the flow of the evening, our facts and figures, no surprises anticipated. And yet, just seconds before the curtain is up and the show begins, those butterflies come crawling, we get that powerful sense of setting out on our mission to spread the word, to raise awareness and to raise funds for the Youth who are less fortunate than us.

Anat Zloof, aka the amazing cook and Avi, her husband, went above and beyond to make everyone feel welcome. A printed menu for the night with the Elem logo on it was placed carefully on each plate, (“Jonathan, our son”, made those, they say proudly), beautiful orange roses on the table alongside candle-lighting. The impossible combination of attention to details tied with effortless hosting, enchants the room.

We gather around in the living room for some small talk before dinner. Moving quickly from Appetizers (babaganush & stuffed grape leaves) to Celery Root Soup garnished with fresh melon cubes to Herbs de Provence Chicken Roulade served with rice, grilled asparagus, fresh green & beet salads, Siniyeh & home made olive bread. Everything is so delicious, one can’t stop eating. The grande-finale were the mouthwatering deserts, a succulent pear-tart, decadent chocolate strawberries & handmade cookies.

“Lucy” a beautiful one year old Siamese kitten is trying to steal the show, she too, wants to be a part of this. It is our talented Musician, Classical Guitarist-Nadav Lev, who strikes everyone’s a chord (double entendre) and holds us all captivated.

It is not easy to make that shift and talk about Awake At Night, about young souls who are hopeless, who cannot fathom a life where no-one really wants anything from them other than do good for them.

No one really cares about statistics, but they all want to help make a difference…and they did…all of a sudden, we transform into ONE BEATING HEART!

Thank you Anat & Avi Zloof for your generosity, kindness & gracious hospitality.

Thank you Nadav Lev for your soulful Art, thank you Sophia Narcia-Goodman for your Social Media expertise, thank you Koby Lahav & Shira Hon for gluing it all together.

Written by Rinat Israelovich

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