Page 1 - The Jewish Voice - January '22

VOL. 12 NO. 1 www.seabreezepublications.com JANUARY 2022

Mirasol Artist Raises Funds for Charity

Debbie Mostel has won numerous awards and her jewelry with the UNICEF Snowflake,
has been worn by celebrities like Oprah Winfrey, January which hangs in Manhattan above
Jones, Laverne Cox, Christie Brinkley, Patti LaBelle, Emily 5th Avenue at 57th Street, she
Blunt, and many others. Yet something she always wanted joined The Mirasol Foundation
to do was turn her love of art — sculptures, in particular — board for 2020-21.
into a powerful way to raise substantial funds for charitable With guidance from the Palm
organizations. Beach Cultural Council, Valerie
Valerie Crosson had a great track record for commissioning contacted seven regional artists —
large, highly visible sculptures that help raise millions of including Debbie Mostel — and
dollars for charitable causes. Following her previous success issued a Request for Proposals
to create a piece with “hanging
hearts” to help reunite the residents
of the Mirasol community, many
of whom felt disconnected due
to COVID social gathering
restrictions.
The idea was to use “hanging
hearts” as a centerpiece for a major
fundraising effort, largely because
the onset of the pandemic made traditional fundraising methods the sculpture, said she was “driven by the importance of giving
impractical. back to our local community affected by COVID, and giving
Valerie and Debbie found a bond and similarities in their the Mirasol community a legacy sculpture that would renew
vision for the piece. Valerie recommended Debbie and the that sense of oneness every time it was viewed.” It is now a
board approved. Debbie, who spent six months working on permanent installation in the entrance of the Club.
On the finished work, each of the 850 hearts represents an

JFS Highlights Local Teacher for individual donor and the amounts donated varied from $150 to
$5,000; a total in the hundreds of thousands of dollars was raised.
Commitment to Holocaust Education Once it was unveiled, Valerie said the piece is a “great success,
connecting people at a time when we couldn’t be together” and
raising hundreds of thousands of dollars to benefit area charities.

Alpert Jewish Other honored guests Photos: Richard McConnell
Family Service, a West included: Dr. Mitchell
Palm Beach nonprofit Josephs, a Palm Beach dentist
organization that serves who has provided more than Men’s Club
hundreds of Holocaust $75k of free dental work to
survivors throughout the 12 Holocaust survivors over
county, honored retired the past two years; survivor Dines in Miami
elementary school teacher Evelyn Grapek; and private
Joanne Baseman at the investigator and Nazi hunter
organization’s annual Steven Rambam. Members of the Temple Beth Am Men’s Club
Holocaust Benefit. Baseman Marc Hopin, CEO of Dr. Mitchell Josephs and their guests took the Brightline train to Miami,
was a teacher at Limestone Alpert JFS, said, “As years where they dined at the Versailles Restaurant in Little
Creek Elementary in go by and the number Havana. Versailles is the “World’s Most Famous Cuban
Jupiter for over 30 years, of Holocaust survivors Restaurant,” and has been serving Cuban cuisine to the
before retiring in 2018. among us wanes, it is more South Florida community for 50 years.
Her commitment to teach important than ever to After finishing a wonderful dinner that was served
children about diversity honor the survivors, their in a semi-private room, the group returned to West Palm
from a young age led her to Joanne Baseman families, and hear them Beach via Brightline, tired but happy to have enjoyed a
invite countless Holocaust share their stories. Our delightful day with friends.
survivors to her classroom, so they could tell their stories Never Again event serves
firsthand to students. Baseman was honored for bridging as an opportunity to educate
the gap between the generations and honoring the the public on the reality of
remaining survivors by giving them a platform to share the Holocaust and ensure Evelyn Grapek
their stories. that it never happens again.”

Steven Rambam