Gala Of Hopes And Dreams: Taste Of Israel

Join us for an unforgettable evening as the Israel Tennis and Education Centers Foundation

brings a Taste of Israel into your home with our annual Gala of Hopes and Dreams

on Wednesday, November 18th starting at 6:30pm ET. 

Honoring Ellen & Alan Goldner

Hopes And Dreamers Of The Year 

Program

 Cocktail Hour - Taste of Israel Experience 

David Broza in Concert

 Raffle Drawing

Patrons who register after October 29th may not receive their curated experience kit in time due to handling and shipping times

 Raffle Prize - Datejust 36  in Oystersteel and 18kt white gold - $8,300

This Oyster Perpetual Datejust 36 in White Rolesor features a black dial and an Oyster bracelet. A classic Rolex design with the white gold flute bezel and oyster bracelet, with perpetual self-winding movement. Displays hours, minutes, seconds with instantaneous date with rapid setting. Scratch resistant sapphire crystal, waterproof to 100 meters/330 feet.

- Click here to purchase raffle tickets -

All proceeds from the evening will benefit ITEC's Covid-19 Children’s Emergency Relief Fund,

providing emergency services for more than 4,000 children in need and their families. 

Corporate Sponsors

Thank you

Champion Sponsors

Thank you

Seymour Brode

Patricia and Benjamin Beiler

Margie Brooke & Gerald Cohen

Maxine and Matthew Comisky

Shelly and Marko Dimitrijevic

Tamara and Gary Fine

Terri and Mark Friedman

Ellen and Alan Goldner

Jennifer and Jason Haas

Linda Katell and Mel Rowan

Mary and Gerald Millman

Phyllis Pullman

Susan and Evan Ratner

Linda and Harold Rosenson

Barbara and Richard Rothschild

Norma Rosenberg

Lorna and Mitchell Schamroth

Randi and Eric Sellinger

Heidi and Jeffrey Siegel

Wendy and Howard Slavin

Sheila and Mark Willner

Jane and Richard Zenker

Door Prize:

Win a monthly subscription of carefully curated boxes, bringing you the best Israel products has to offer while supporting a range of small, local and artisan businesses.

Cocktail Hour – Taste of Israel Experiences

Experiences will run simultaneously for the cocktail hour

Select one of our three (3) distinct Israel experiences:

Virtual Concert

Join Gala attendees for a private concert from the world-acclaimed Israeli recording artist

David Broza 

David Broza is an internationally renowned Israeli singer-songwriter, recognized for his dynamic guitar performances and humanitarian efforts. His signature sound brings together the influence of Spanish flamenco, American folk, rock and roll, and poetry. With over 40 albums released, many of which are multiplatinum, in English, Hebrew, and Spanish, Broza continues to tour globally both as a solo musician and with his various musical projects.

Registration

Single tickets, virtual tables and sponsorships are available for you to invite your guests and spread the word about the Israel Tennis & Education Centers.

Great News for Donors and ITEC:  The Federal government has approved legislation to temporarily suspend limits on charitable contributions in 2020. Individuals may deduct cash contributions of up to 100 percent of their adjusted gross income made during the current calendar year.

(*Unique log-in refers to a link that enables event access from one device at any given time) 

CLICK HERE to purchase a chance to win a DATEJUST 36 Rolex watch valued at $8,300

Patrons who register after October 29th may not receive their curated experience kit in time due to handling and shipping times 

Honoring Ellen & Alan Goldner

Hopes and Dreamers of the Year

This year's Hopes and Dreamers of the Year are Ellen and Alan Goldner.  With this honor, we are commemorating 32 years of Ellen and Alan’s enthusiastic and steadfast leadership and service to the children of Israel through the Israel Tennis and Education Centers Foundation.  Alan joined the ITEC board when he was just 39 years old. During Alan’s three decades of service, he has been a consummate leader and ambassador of ITEC’s mission.  Alan has served as ITEC’s International Chair and twice as ITEC’s US President of the ITEC Foundation.  At ITEC we often refer to Alan as King Solomon as we rely on his wisdom, patience, extraordinary sense of humor and diplomatic skills as he leads with his head and his heart.

What many of you may not be aware of is that Alan and his beautiful bride, Ellen, first became involved in ITEC in 1980 when they traveled to Israel with Ellen’s parents, Ethel and Dave Sommer z”l on a family trip and they visited one of our centers.  Alan proudly will tell you that he is not a tennis player; nevertheless he fell passionately in love with the children and the impactful ITEC mission.  Fast forward over three decades, there have been four generations of the Sommer Goldner Stein Families involved with the ITEC.  The torch was passed by Ethel & Dave Sommer to Ellen and Alan, and then onto their son, Joshua and his wife Tamar and their children, Itai, Shelly, Asaf and Tam and daughter, Rachel and her husband Mark Stein and their children, Adam and Jordan who are equally committed to the ITEC mission.  Josh made Aliyah to Israel 25 years ago and he and Tamar and their family live in Tel Aviv.  Adam raised money for ITEC for his Bar Mitzvah project last year.  Truly L’Dor v’dor!

After Dave’s passing in January, 2016 the Shankman and Goldner families established a legacy tribute in his honor, now called The Ethel and Dave Sommer Ethiopian Empowerment Program.  This life-altering program focuses on the Ethiopian community in Jaffa. These children were on the streets and in need of organized activities to boost their confidence, help them integrate into Israeli society and empower them to be good  citizens.  Currently, the program serves well over 40 children and continues to impact not only their lives but the lives of their families and the community at-large.  When Ethel passed away in April, 2019, Judy and Mark Shankman and Ellen and Alan endowed three additional programs in Dave and Ethel’s memory:  a second Ethiopian program in Jaffa , an Integrated Youth at-Risk Program in Tel Aviv and a Girl's Empowerment Program in Beer Sheva.

While Alan remains passionate about his work with ITEC, he continues to offer his time and talents to making a difference in the Greater MetroWest Jewish community and in New York.  Alan was a co-chair of the Drugs, Cosmetics and Toiletries Division of UJA-Federation of NY; he co-chaired many events including the Super Sunday event for MetroWest, where he served on the Board of Directors of the Jewish Federation of MetroWest; as well as serving on several other Boards including NJY Camps, Alexander Muss High School in Israel, and the Board of his synagogue, Temple Beth-El in South Orange.  He chaired the Partnership 2000 program for the Jewish Federation of MetroWest where he helped to establish long term relationships between the MetroWest Community and our ITEC Center in Ofakim.

Paralleling her husband’s philanthropic activism for decades, Ellen Goldner has been a dynamic leader on behalf of Jewish Federation of Greater MetroWest NJ and other community causes. She served as campaign chair and president of Women’s Department and was founding president of the Partnership for Jewish Learning and Life. She chaired the UJA Campaign and was the first woman to hold the position of president at the MetroWest Jewish Federation.  Ellen was the founder and first chair of the Rachel Coalition, a partnership of eight northern New Jersey organizations working together to provide a variety of services to assist victims of domestic violence.  Ellen currently serves as president of JSDD, Jewish Service for the Developmentally Disabled in New Jersey.

While Ellen and Alan have both accomplished much by their leadership in the community and as advocates of Israel, the greatest position Ellen and Alan have ever held has been their role as a devoted husband and wife, father and mother, and grandfather and grandmother of six.  Alan and Ellen have instilled Ahavat Yisrael, the Love of Israel and the Jewish People in their children and grandchildren.  Their daughter, Rachel, serves on the board of  JUF  Chicago and has chaired several ITEC exhibitions in her hometown.   

This evening, we are honored to present the inaugural Hopes and Dreamers of the Year Award to our exemplary leaders, Ellen and Alan Goldner.      

Host Committee

Wendy Slavin, Gala Chair

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