{"id":52247,"date":"2019-12-15T14:11:13","date_gmt":"2019-12-15T20:11:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/?p=52247"},"modified":"2019-12-24T08:15:40","modified_gmt":"2019-12-24T14:15:40","slug":"latkes-with-a-twist-event-raises-16k-for-jcrs","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/latkes-with-a-twist-event-raises-16k-for-jcrs\/","title":{"rendered":"&#8216;Latkes with a Twist&#8217; event raises $16K for JCRS"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>By DEAN M. SHAPIRO, <em>Special to the CCJN<\/em><\/p>\n<p>The sixth annual \u201cLatkes with a Twist\u201d 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&#8217;s Regional Service (JCRS) said.<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_52248\" style=\"width: 310px\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/Brigtsen_NOCCA.jpg\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-52248\" class=\"wp-image-52248 size-medium lazyload\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/Brigtsen_NOCCA-300x219.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"219\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/Brigtsen_NOCCA-300x219.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/Brigtsen_NOCCA-768x560.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/Brigtsen_NOCCA-1024x746.jpg 1024w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 300px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 300\/219;\" \/><noscript><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-52248\" class=\"wp-image-52248 size-medium\" src=\"https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/Brigtsen_NOCCA-300x219.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"219\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/Brigtsen_NOCCA-300x219.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/Brigtsen_NOCCA-768x560.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/Brigtsen_NOCCA-1024x746.jpg 1024w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/noscript><\/a><\/p>\n<p id=\"caption-attachment-52248\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Chef Frank Brigtsen, right, instructs NOCCA culinary students in the kitchen at the &#8220;Latkes with a Twist&#8221; event. (Photo by Dean Shapiro)<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>This year&#8217;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.<\/p>\n<p>Chef Brigtsen, a winner of the prestigious James Beard Award for Best Chef (Southeast), is the owner and head chef of Brigtsen\u2019s 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&#8217;s Hall of Fame.<\/p>\n<p>Coming from a long line of world-renowned executive chefs who formerly graced the kitchen of Commander\u2019s Palace, he attributed his skills as a \u201clatke master\u201d to his German-Scandinavian family\u2019s recipe. The latkes, covered in Chef Brigtsen\u2019s special sauce, were the hit of the party and the first food item to disappear from the well-stocked serving table.<\/p>\n<p>A Vodka Latke Punch, served from the bar was another of the evening\u2019s highlights, along with other delectable food items and desserts, a silent auction and live music from guitarist\/vocalist Chip Wilson\u2019s Wilson Folk Blues Explosion.<\/p>\n<p>Commenting on the success of the event, JCRS development director Mark Rubin said, \u201cIt just keeps getting better and better. It\u2019s increasingly popular and an important part of our offerings.\u201d<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_52250\" style=\"width: 310px\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/Emily_MarkR.jpg\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-52250\" class=\"wp-image-52250 size-medium lazyload\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/Emily_MarkR-300x209.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"209\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/Emily_MarkR-300x209.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/Emily_MarkR-768x534.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/Emily_MarkR-1024x712.jpg 1024w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 300px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 300\/209;\" \/><noscript><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-52250\" class=\"wp-image-52250 size-medium\" src=\"https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/Emily_MarkR-300x209.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"209\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/Emily_MarkR-300x209.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/Emily_MarkR-768x534.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/Emily_MarkR-1024x712.jpg 1024w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/noscript><\/a><\/p>\n<p id=\"caption-attachment-52250\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">JCRS event sponsor Emily Schoenbaum with JCRS development director Mark Rubin. (Photo by Dean Shapiro)<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>A lifelong professional fundraiser who has served in his current position for the past seven years, Rubin added, \u201cI 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.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>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\u2019s social service organization in the U.S. as well as the only regional Jewish child welfare agency in the country.<\/p>\n<p>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\u2019s literature to kids 11 and under; and the Oscar J. Tolmas Hanukkah Gift Program, which gives Hanukkah presents and cards to needy children.<\/p>\n<p>The organization estimates it will have served over 1,800 children from 200-plus Mid-South communities in 2019.<\/p>\n<p>Rubin also announced JCRS&#8217;s upcoming ninth annual Jewish Roots Gala fundraising event at the Riverside Hilton on Saturday, February 1, 2020. The event, themed \u201cJewish Roots of Rhythm &amp; Blues,\u201d&nbsp; will feature live music, a cocktail reception, a seated dinner and silent auctions. The music will highlight tunes from \u201cThe Great American Songbook,\u201d many of which were written by Jewish composers in the first half of the 20th century.<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_52251\" style=\"width: 310px\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/IMG_3002.jpg\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-52251\" class=\"wp-image-52251 size-medium lazyload\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/IMG_3002-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/IMG_3002-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/IMG_3002-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/IMG_3002-1024x768.jpg 1024w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 300px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 300\/225;\" \/><noscript><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-52251\" class=\"wp-image-52251 size-medium\" src=\"https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/IMG_3002-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/IMG_3002-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/IMG_3002-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/IMG_3002-1024x768.jpg 1024w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/noscript><\/a><\/p>\n<p id=\"caption-attachment-52251\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Chef Frank Brigtsen with Sue Singer, center, and attendee Margarita Bergen. (Photo by Dean Shapiro)<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>The songs will be performed by a quartet consisting of JCRS \u201csuccess stories\u201d \u2013 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).<\/p>\n<p>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.<\/p>\n<p>Tickets to the event are available at <a href=\"http:\/\/www.jcrs.org\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">www.jcrs.org<\/a> or by calling the JCRS office at 800-729-5277. Reserved tables and sponsorships are available.<\/p>\n<p>Photos from this year&#8217;s event are in the gallery below:<\/p>\n<p>ngg_shortcode_0_placeholder<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<div style=\"padding-bottom:20px; padding-top:10px;\" class=\"hupso-share-buttons\"><!-- Hupso Share Buttons - https:\/\/www.hupso.com\/share\/ --><a class=\"hupso_toolbar\" href=\"https:\/\/www.hupso.com\/share\/\"><img decoding=\"async\" data-src=\"https:\/\/static.hupso.com\/share\/buttons\/share-medium.png\" style=\"border:0px; padding-top: 5px; float:left;\" alt=\"Share Button\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\" class=\"lazyload\" \/><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/static.hupso.com\/share\/buttons\/share-medium.png\" style=\"border:0px; padding-top: 5px; float:left;\" alt=\"Share Button\"\/><\/noscript><\/a><script type=\"text\/javascript\">var hupso_services_t=new Array(\"Twitter\",\"Facebook\",\"Google Plus\",\"Pinterest\",\"Linkedin\",\"Tumblr\",\"Email\");var hupso_background_t=\"#EAF4FF\";var hupso_border_t=\"#66CCFF\";var hupso_toolbar_size_t=\"medium\";var hupso_image_folder_url = \"\";var hupso_url_t=\"\";var hupso_title_t=\"%27Latkes%20with%20a%20Twist%27%20event%20raises%20%2416K%20for%20JCRS\";<\/script><script type=\"text\/javascript\" src=\"https:\/\/static.hupso.com\/share\/js\/share_toolbar.js\"><\/script><!-- Hupso Share Buttons --><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":52248,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"ngg_post_thumbnail":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[823,3],"tags":[8790,8813,8795,8788],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/52247"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=52247"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/52247\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":52452,"href":"https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/52247\/revisions\/52452"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/52248"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=52247"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=52247"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=52247"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}