This post is part of a series highlighting the events and activities that took place at the FJMC Biennial Convention in Philadelphia, PA.
Wednesday greetings from Philadelphia Marriott, the host venue of the 2023 FJMC Biennial Convention. Today was a busy day in Philadelphia; the FJMC Convention Registration desk officially opened, the full FJMC Executive Committee convened and video recording sessions from various Regional Ma’asim Tovim award honorees continued.
The second day of pre-convention and family programming began with a choice of two unique experiences. First up was a 90-minute docent-led tour of the Weitsman National Museum of American Jewish History & Congregation Mikveh Israel, the oldest continuous synagogue in the US and “Synagogue of the American Revolution”. Motorheads beamed with delight at a two-hour, docent-led tour of the Simeone Foundation Automobile Museum, which contains over 75 historically significant cars including Ferrari, Alfa Romeo, Bugatti, Mercedes, Jaguar, Bentley, Porsche, Aston Martin, Corvette, Ford, to name a few.
Wednesday afternoon started with an outing to Philadelphia’s “Magic Gardens”, an immersive mixed media environment that is completely covered with mosaics and everyday objects. Philadelphia is a city of murals and the Tour included part of the Mural Mile, the world’s largest outdoor art gallery.
The fun continued on the “Historically Hilarious BYOB Open Air Trolley Tour of Philadelphia”, an entertaining, comedic story-telling adventure through Philadelphia that covered the city’s major attractions and off-the-beaten-path sites, including Chinatown, Reading Terminal Market, City Hall, Love Sculpture, Ben Franklin Parkway, Fairmount Park, Philadelphia Museum of Art, Rocky Steps and historic Old City.
Wednesday evening came in on a high note with an exclusive dining experience at Zahav Restaurant, recipient of the James Beard Award as the best restaurant in the US, bringing the flavors of Israel’s cultural crossroads to Philadelphia. Zahav was created by internationally renowned chef and restaurateur, Michael Solomonov.
On Wednesday night, Convention attendees were treated to an intimate performance by John Pizzi, one of the hottest rising comedians and ventriloquists in the entertainment industry, a regular at the Riviera in Las Vegas, the Borgata in Atlantic City and a member of the Friars Club in New York City and Los Angeles.
The evening concluded with a special whiskey tasting from Milk & Honey Whisky Distillery, Israel’s first whisky distillery. The Milk and Honey distillery was founded in 2013 in Tel Aviv, with a dream of a thriving Israeli distillery producing world-class whisky. M&H fulfilled that dream when they won the title of World’s Best Single Malt Whisky in one of the most prestigious competitions in the global whisky industry, the 2023 World Whiskies Awards. The winning whisky was the Elements Sherry Cask, “a whisky aged in ex-bourbon from USA and ex-sherry casks brought to Israel directly from Spain. Using Oloroso and Pedro Ximenez sherry casks made especially for the distillery, the casks were filled with quality sherry for one year in Jerez and then brought to Israel to mature their new-make spirit for a wonderfully complex whisky – the first and only single malt in the world aged in kosher Sherry casks, producing a nose dominant in rich red fruit notes by gentle oak, caramel and lemon freshness, a medium bodied palate with light fruity, sherry sweetness, rich fruits and dark chocolate, followed by gentle oaky notes and a finish with dark chocolate notes lingering in the palate, followed by tobacco and oak”.
Looking ahead to Thursday, morning activities will include a 10-mile Schuylkill Trail Bike Ride, a trip to the Stoogeum (the world’s first and largest museum of Three Stooges memorabilia) and a docent led tour of “The Barnes” with its collection of impressionist, post-impressionist and modern paintings including works by Renoir, Cezanne, Matisse, Picasso, Van Gogh, and Modigliani – displayed alongside African masks, native American jewelry, Greek antiquities, and decorative metalwork.
This message is brought to you by the Florida Region of the Federation of Jewish Men’s Clubs (FJMC). We are part of a global confederation of over 200 Men’s Clubs and Brotherhoods representing over 20,000 members across the United States, Canada, Latin America and beyond. Learn more about how your Men’s Club or Brotherhood can affiliate at: https://www.fjmc.org/content/affiliating-fjmc.
The Florida Region of FJMC serves the needs of affiliated Men’s clubs and Brotherhoods throughout the State of Florida. Our mission is to involve Jewish Men in Jewish Life by fostering fellowship and camaraderie between Men’s Clubs and Brotherhoods in the Florida Region, inspiring interest and involvement in Jewish worship, Jewish studies, Tikkun Olam and ensuring the success of new and existing leaders of our Florida Men’s Clubs and Brotherhoods.
If you are not yet affiliated with the Federation, then today is the day to join us. Get to know more about the Florida Region of FJMC and our growing network of dynamic Jewish Men’s Clubs and Brotherhoods on our website www.FloridaRegionFJMC.org and please visit and LIKE our Facebook Group at www.facebook.com/FloridaRegionFJMC.
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