Community Corner
La Mesa’s Rubenstein Honored at La Jolla’s Heart & Soul Gala
Hundreds attended the Jewish Family Service's annual event at the Hyatt Regency.
Robert Rubenstein of La Mesa was saluted Saturday night as hundreds in black-tie attire attended the Jewish Family Service's annual Heart & Soul Gala at the Hyatt Regency La Jolla.
Rubenstein was a 2011 Mitzvah Award Honoree for his Rubenstein Family Scholarship, which helps young Jews pursue their dreams through further education at college or vocational schools.
Among other guests and 2011 Mitzvah Award Honorees were Esther and Bud Fischer, honored for their generosity to the Hand Up Youth Food Pantry, which gives critical food aid to military families at Camp Pendleton and Murphy Canyon Military Housing. The Fischers were accompanied by quite a few members and generations of their family.
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Rebecca McInnis was also a 2011 Mitzvah Award Honoree. McInnis was applauded for integrating the Internet and volunteers to help others in need fulfill their holiday wishes with the Embrace A Family holiday gift basket program.
Gala co-chairs Kate Kassar and Lisa Levine said, “JFS has helped thousands of people who have been impacted by the ongoing economic crisis. Our services to those affected by domestic abuse, huger, unemployment, bankruptcy and foreclosure increased to unprecedented levels. But unlike many nonprofit organizations that had to cut back programs to stay afloat, we did something remarkable: We expanded our critically needed services.”
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The evening continued with a sit-down dinner featuring seared sea bass and citrus salad with spinach, mascarpone and chive risotto.
A live auction followed, featuring such big-bid items as a chef’s table dinner for 12 at Searsucker downtown, a jet-set dinner to the French Laundry restaurant in Napa Valley for eight, and a very coveted New York's Fashion Week seating and behind-the-scenes invite to designer Yigal Azrouel’s show.
Azrouel’s muse and sister, Miriam Smotrich, and her husband Dr. David Smotrich were in attendance at the gala. So too were Barbara Bloom, Judy and Jack White, Patti and Coop Cooprider, twins Lauren and Noah Fischer, Lannette and Todd Bloom with their daughter Melissa, and Jerri-Ann and Gary Jacobs
Last year's gala raised $900,000.
To learn more about the Jewish Family Service, please visit jfssd.org .
