THE LOUNGE
1. Menorah Mivtachim
Senior insurance industry officials attended an event held by the Menorah Mivtachim group, on the occasion of the dedication of the group’s new offices in the Ramat Gan Diamond Exchange complex, which will be called Menorah Mivtahim House. The new building will house the 3,200 employees of the group, which is the largest automobile and property insurance group in Israel. Present were: Eran Griffel, chairman of Menorah Mivtachim Holdings Limited; former prime minister Ehud Olmert; Haim Katz, minister of Labor, Welfare and Social Services; Ari Kalman, CEO of Menorah Mivtachim Group; Yehuda Ben Assayag, CEO of Menorah Mivtachim Insurance; Yair Hamburger; Yitzhak and Chaya Tshuva; Rami Caspi; and Dorit Salinger.
2. Hacarem Spirits
Ariel Epstein, CEO of Hacarem Spirits, and Ronit Avner, the company’s VP Marketing, hosted a delegation of management and customers from Rémy Martin, a popular Cognac brand, for an extravagant culinary experience at the Nithan Thai restaurant. The world’s brand ambassador, Lorni Nonot, offered guests a blind test taste of a new drink alongside other drinks.
Enjoying themselves were Augustin Departon, executive brand director Remy-Martin; Spyros Gkikas, Remy-Martin Cointreau EMEA Zone CEO; Jiri Stetina, Central & South Europe zone director; Karel Truhlar, CSE financial controller; and Tassos Iliopoulos, South East Europe & Middle East Group representative.
3. Brandeis University
Jay and Shira Ruderman, who head the Ruderman Family Foundation, which works to integrate people with disabilities into society and strengthen ties between Israel and American Jewry, received an honorary degree last week from Brandeis University. University graduates, members of the board of directors and family members of the degree recipients participated in the ceremony. The Rudermans were offered this impressive tribute by the university founded by Justice Louis Brandeis, who championed the values of justice, acceptance and human rights. Jay Ruderman’s personal connection with the university goes back many years, as he received his academic education at the institution over thirty years ago. Singer Chava Alberstein was also the recipient of an award.
4. Organ transplants
Dr. Eran Halpern, director of Rabin Medical Center, Prof. Eitan Mor, director of the Organ Transplants Department at Beilinson, Pinchas (Pini) Cohen, chairman of the Friends Association and Dr. Boaz Tadmor, chairman of the Research Authority, recently hosted an event to launch the Research Laboratory Tissue Engineering in Beilinson Hospital. The lab opened thanks to the generous support of Michael and Danielle Gross and is intended to find an innovative method to prevent the chronic rejection of transplanted organs. The goal is to provide a solution to the ongoing shortage of organs available for transplants.
5. Israel Cancer Research
Israeli businessman Yakir Gabay and his wife Elena hosted in their London home a fundraising event for the Israel Cancer Research Fund (ICRF), headed by Adv. Tamir Gilat. Dr. Shani Paluch-Shimon, who treated Keren-Nahari Gilat, z”l, presented the latest breakthroughs in cancer research. Guests enjoyed a performance by singer Marina Maximilian and a meal by chef Nini Nof of the restaurant Place of Meat in Neve Tzedek, in cooperation with British chef Miri Barak. Attending were Israeli Ambassador to the UK Mark Regev and his wife Vered, and CEO of Discount Bank Lilach Asher Topilsky and her husband, Mark, who is an architect.