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It was a triple header birthday celebration at Carnegie Hall. Israel’s 33rd, Carnegie Hall’s 90th and Jewish National Fund’s 80th! What better way to celebrate than with the deluxe Israel Ballet Company under the direction of Berta Yampolsky and Hillel Markman, artistic directors, with the JNF playing host. Rabbi William Berkowitz, its president had so noted in his welcoming address on the mammoth stage of Carnegie Hall.

George Balanchine, the noted choreographer, present in vi the first row was recipient of a special award for his artistic x achievement. In proper tribute the first dance work, “Serenade”, was his, an arrangement born in 1934 as the first ballet designed by him in the United States for Tchaikovsky’s “Serenade for Strings.”

The performance of the Israel Ballet was richly mated to it and the other works performed. They were sheer, fluid magic on stage with steps of heavenly, design. Their performance was of the quality toasted by the most renowned and older companies that have graced the world’s theaters of dance. Roy M. Cohn was chairman. Present in the Hall were Israel Ambassador Efralm Evron, Mrs. Yehuda Blum, Dr. HaCohen, executive with Bank Leumi of New York, one of the ballet’s sponsors. Over $150,000 was raised by the event and by the subscription of a number of Patrons and Sponsors that included Donald Trump, the real estate king in New York City: Victor Potamkin of the Cadillac auto dealership; Jerry Finkelstein, Wall Street Journal owner; Chase Manhattan Bank, Israel Discount Bank and Pspildky Caterers, among others. 

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We were glad to be part of the 8th annual Sports Award affair by American Friends of Hebrew U. Baseball great Lee MacPhail, who has floated over the sports scene for over 40 years. What we found particularly laudable was that no-one of the least hosts, Howard Cosell, spoke of Russia or its pulling out of the Olympics along with the string of satellite lands that did the same.

Each one here just ignored the boycott, instead of weeping or offering recipes for this crowd. The annual dinner was conceived and developed by AFHU to commemorate the 11 Israelis who were senselessly slain at the 1972 Munich Olympics. Each year, Cosell, who was assigned to the tragedy in Munich, recalls that act of infamy. Without attempting to veil his emotion, he denounces the action. At the same time, each year, he repeats the resurgence of his Jewish faith, of the pride in his roots and of the more profound feelings that then surfaced and remained as strong as ever “being a Jew.”

Cosell’s love towards Israel, he notes, takes on a peculiar glory because AFHu has established the “Howard Cosell Center of Physical Education at the Hebrew U.” Sonny Werblin, head of Madison Square Garden, is the National Chairman and Bowie Kuhn, former Commissioner of Baseball, is the Deputy Chairman of the Cosell Centre. The dinner is always a fabulous, colorfully decorated event… Team pennants stained all around the room, real Yankee and Mets caps atop miniature baseball bats blazoned by guests of honor (MacPhail-Louisville Slugger).

Sanford Weill, President of the American Express Company, chaired the affair. Robert S. Savin, Westchester County business exec, heads the AFHU National Sports Committee. Beamon, an Olympic Champion, admitted to his guests that before his winning event in the history of sports,’ I ate a bagel and a lox breakfast, and they did wonders for me…’ Howard Cosell “kvelled” his arm around Beamon with smiles shining forth like he said: “Never allow them to downgrade bagels and lox. It’s an ethnic meal to be proud of!

“Another famous international sports and dignitaries present in honor of the memory of Munich 11 Israeli athletes were former New York governor Hugh L. Carey, Donald Trump, Immobiliary tycoon and owner of the General Football Team, ex-Mayor John Lindsay of New York City. Also: Howard Samuels, Israel Bond Chair of New York City and former Off Track of Betting Czar; AUie Sherman; Joe Walton; José Torres; Angel Cordero; Robert J. Corny; Frank Gifford; Nat Holman; Mrs. Elston Howard; and GoHe Howe, among others. “Honoree Lee MacPhail is regarded as one of the prime movers and shapers of major league baseball for the past 40 years,’ said Robert Low, who gave the AFHU lecture to MacPhail.”

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The Tree of Life Award, the most prestigious award of the Jewish National Fund went to Benjamin D. Holloway, chairman and chief executive officer of Equitable Real Estate Group, Inc., at its annual Real Estate Divisions dinner dance in the Grand Hyatt Hotel. Donald Trump, JNF’s 1983 awardee, was chairman. The Holloway Park and Recreation area is being established at the Hazorea Forest, Haifa, in his honor.

Trump, in lauding Holloway, pointed out that the Hyatt Hotel was renovated by him (Trump) with the financial backing of Holloway’s Equitable group “What better place to hold this gala affair,” the young wizard of the New York real estate scene noted. More than $700,000 was realized at this JNF’s largest fundraising affair in this division or any other,” Dr. Cohen, executive vice president of the JNF told me. The Tree of Life Award was seeded in 1981 with Evangeline Gouletas Carey (wife of then New York Governor Hugh Carey) and her brother, Nicholas Gouletas, to officially launch JNF’s real estate benefactors.

That this set of builders should by their interest and concern be responsible for the continued upbuilding of a land 6,000 miles away is a welcome development. More than half of the guests were not of the Jewish faith. But this JNF affair was introducing them to Israel in the language they understand best — upbuilding barren areas. Hank Sopher, the New York area president, seemed to sum it up and tie up the strings well from USA to Israel, in his brief address. In praising Holloway, he noted that he gave more than financial support, “but also your time, your energy and your ideas.”

Then referring to his American creative genius, “I also want to express the appreciation of your colleagues and friends in the real estate industry for your vision and imagination, which have transformed the skyline of New York and dramatically improved the architecture of cities across the United States…It is exciting and encouraging that when Israel is faced with so many problems today, we can count on your support and commitment to the cause of Zionism and to the work of the JNF.” Then referring to the park in Haifa that will bear his name,” and the residents of Haifa and all of this great little land, will enjoy its environment.” Enjoying the evening were the almost 1,000 guests.

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June is the month of weddings, graduations and the American Friends of the Hebrew U. Sports Dinner that annually recalls the Israeli 11 Olympic stars who were cut down by Arab terrorism at the 1972 Olympics in Germany.

Howard Cosell, media sports commentator who was in Germany at that sorrowful hour covering the games, recalls it here each year, and though most of us know it by heart, the pathos is still there, the sorrow never diminishes, Israeli athletes stand as heroes. The Sports Center at Hebrew U. in Jerusalem is named after Cosell in tribute to a caring luminary.

1989 saw more than 500 guests stream into the New York Hilton Hotel

For the dinner, a shining affair with each table decorated with ornaments of a particular sports game: football with miniature football and baseball with the midget bat and ball; hockey with colorful wall pennants and so on, and on, with sports souvenir bags for the children attending with their parents. But the special treat for the youngsters and the dads, one can reasonably be assured, was the presence of more than 100 nationally famous sports stars who graciously attended and gave autographs freely (with no charge — in this area that has grown to big business.)

This year, San Francisco Giant President and GM Rosen, former slugger Orlando Cepeda, National League President Bill White, with U.S. Olympic Committee President Robert H. Helmich were honored for their contributions to education and sportsmanship. U.S. Ambassador Max Kampelman and New York business leader Howard Kaskel were co-chairmen. However, Kampelman was called away on diplomatic duty that very morning. Cosell presided as toastmaster.

A very special guest on the dais, not an athlete, was Donald Trump, new owner of the Plaza Hotel, owner of Trump Tower on Fifth Avenue and most recently acquirer of Trump Airlines, formerly Eastern.

Well, the big news is that Trump is making a visit to Israel to advise how to turn its “economy into profits and/or set up some new Trump establishments in the Jewish State. This night he could only praise the Hebrew U. and its work in educating young scholars. He was delighted that the funds raised at the affair go into a special scholarship fund. 

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The morning after a historic victory in the US presidential Donald Trump, are exposed to large parts of the president-elect’s relationship to Judaism and Haredi public. ‘In the ultra-Orthodox “has learned that Trump was one of the donors of the meeting Rozin – Bayan Jerusalem. 

As is known, Trump’s obvious connection to Judaism Was born first and foremost with his daughter Ivanka, who converted to Judaism after marrying her Jewish husband, who appeared during the election campaign in a Chabad synagogue in the United States and even came to the Lubavitcher Rebbe and her husband. 

As noted above, it turns out that Tramp has deep ties with a group of Jews who support the yeshiva of Ruzin Bayan in Jerusalem, who have great admiration and close connection with the Baian Rebbe, and thus, Who is chosen in those events and gives them his support, and sometimes even publishes pages of greetings in various journals. 

One of the Bahian Hasidim told Behadrei Haredim today: “It is clear that he is connected to the heart of the Jewish people and there is no doubt that he is one of the righteous gentiles who will only bring good to the people living in Zion

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Trump donated $10,000 to West Bank settlement of Beit El, founder says

Former MK Yaakov Katz says in 2003 a gift was made in honor of David Friedman, who had only been taped as an envoy to Israel.

In 2003, US President-elect Donald Trump made a donation of $10,000 to the West Bank settlement Beit El, an official of the community revealed on Sunday. Former MK and Beit El Founder Yaakov Katz told the Galey Israel radio station that Trump’s gift had been made in honor of his friend David Friedman, who was then his adviser, and who Trump last week was appointed as the next U.S. ambassador to Israel.

“When Friedman was our guest of honor at a fundraiser years ago, President Trump sent us a $10,000 donation, “Katz said. According to a tax file, the Donald J. Trump Foundation donates to the American Friends of Bet El Institutions, of which Friedman is President, a group which raises funds for the seminary of the Beit El Settlement, a news organization affiliated with the settlers movement and other settlement activities.

“I had no idea he would become president one day, otherwise I would have saved that check,” Katz added. He clarified that Trump’s contribution was intended to build a yeshiva in Beit El, not to expand the community itself.

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Real estate tycoon Donald Trump has pledged to donate more than $100,000 to the Israeli emergency rescue service United Hatzalah.

The gift was inspired by his friend, billionaire Stewart Rahr, to buy four ambucycles, each costing $26,000. Last month, Rahr arranged through his own contribution and that of his friends to donate 50 ambucycles to the group. Rahr, a well-known New York figure who calls himself “The King of Fun,” has known Trump for several years. United Hatzalah is the first and largest rapid-response all-volunteer service in Israel. It has a fleet of more than 250 ambucycles and uses state-of-the-art patented GPS technology. Trump was an Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu’s vocal supporter.