‘Latkes with a Twist’ event raises $16K for JCRS
By DEAN M. SHAPIRO, Special to the CCJN
The sixth annual “Latkes with a Twist” community-wide Chanukah party, held Thursday, Dec. 12 at the Press Street Station annex of the New Orleans Center for the Creative Arts (NOCCA), brought in over $16,000 and drew more than 200 attendees, organizers of the fundraising event for the Jewish Children’s Regional Service (JCRS) said.
Chef Frank Brigtsen, right, instructs NOCCA culinary students in the kitchen at the “Latkes with a Twist” event. (Photo by Dean Shapiro)
This year’s event, held at the NOCCA facility for the second year in a row, featured latkes cooked up by renowned chef Frank Brigtsen and culinary program students from NOCCA, where he is the chef in residence.
Chef Brigtsen, a winner of the prestigious James Beard Award for Best Chef (Southeast), is the owner and head chef of Brigtsen’s Restaurant in the Uptown Riverbend neigborhood. He is a recent recipient of the Paul Prudhomme Award, received the Lafcadio Hearn Award from the John Folse Culinary Institute and has also been inducted into the Louisiana Restaurant Association’s Hall of Fame.
Coming from a long line of world-renowned executive chefs who formerly graced the kitchen of Commander’s Palace, he attributed his skills as a “latke master” to his German-Scandinavian family’s recipe. The latkes, covered in Chef Brigtsen’s special sauce, were the hit of the party and the first food item to disappear from the well-stocked serving table.
A Vodka Latke Punch, served from the bar was another of the evening’s highlights, along with other delectable food items and desserts, a silent auction and live music from guitarist/vocalist Chip Wilson’s Wilson Folk Blues Explosion.
Commenting on the success of the event, JCRS development director Mark Rubin said, “It just keeps getting better and better. It’s increasingly popular and an important part of our offerings.”
JCRS event sponsor Emily Schoenbaum with JCRS development director Mark Rubin. (Photo by Dean Shapiro)
A lifelong professional fundraiser who has served in his current position for the past seven years, Rubin added, “I am inspired by the impact we make on the lives of the Jewish kids we serve and I enjoy watching their progress as they become young adults.”
Founded in 1855, JCRS began as a New Orleans orphanage and later expanded into a regional service organization serving Louisiana and six other Southern states. It is reported to be the oldest existing Jewish children’s social service organization in the U.S. as well as the only regional Jewish child welfare agency in the country.
Some of the services offered by JCRS involve providing needs-based scholarships for Jewish summer camps for the younger children and college aid and affordable college loan repayment plans for the young adults pursuing higher education. Other services include assistance for children with special needs; the PJ Library program, providing free Jewish children’s literature to kids 11 and under; and the Oscar J. Tolmas Hanukkah Gift Program, which gives Hanukkah presents and cards to needy children.
The organization estimates it will have served over 1,800 children from 200-plus Mid-South communities in 2019.
Rubin also announced JCRS’s upcoming ninth annual Jewish Roots Gala fundraising event at the Riverside Hilton on Saturday, February 1, 2020. The event, themed “Jewish Roots of Rhythm & Blues,” will feature live music, a cocktail reception, a seated dinner and silent auctions. The music will highlight tunes from “The Great American Songbook,” many of which were written by Jewish composers in the first half of the 20th century.
Chef Frank Brigtsen with Sue Singer, center, and attendee Margarita Bergen. (Photo by Dean Shapiro)
The songs will be performed by a quartet consisting of JCRS “success stories” – educational scholarship recipients who are currently pursuing degrees in musical performance. The musicians will include Basil Alter (violin, Manhattan School of Music), Joshua Dolney (trumpet, University of Illinois), Joshua Sadinsky (piano, Cal Arts) and Caroline Samuels (double bass, Boston University).
The evening will honor the Beerman Family whose members have provided leadership roles and made notable contributions to JCRS over the past nearly 100 years.
Tickets to the event are available at www.jcrs.org or by calling the JCRS office at 800-729-5277. Reserved tables and sponsorships are available.
Photos from this year’s event are in the gallery below:
