South Florida Magazine - July 2020 Issue - Joelle Eckstein Graces the Front Cover

VOL.3 NO. 7

Joelle Eckstein Charitable Fund Luxury Investor Festa New Auto Toy Store Lilly Pulitzer Summer Lookbook 2020 SUMMER SIZZLER STOCK PICKS! BOLLYWOOD BILLIONAIRES Summer BBQ in Style Chef Tess Armenian

Boca Raton Improvement Projects Roger Craft Possible Mayoral Run

Lara Sahakian & Kim Knausz Realtors Supporing Health

JULY 2020

FOUNDER | Jay Shapiro Luxury Chamber Media Group jay@southflorida.in

Assistant to the Editor | Kolleen Poirier kolleen@southflorida.in

Fashion Editor | Juliana LaBonte juliana@southflorida.in

Travel Editor | Christina Ricci

Business Editor | Cindy Ragan

Real Estate Editor | Venus Proffer

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Joelle Eckstein Turns Her Pain Into Purpose Joelle Eckstein faithfully worked alongside her late husband, Rabbi Yechiel Eckstein, for 15 years as he built an organization that raises $100 million a year to help Jewish widows and orphans. He dedicated his life to building bridges between Christians and Jews.

In February 2019, she lost everything she held dear. In a tragic moment, her husband and her purpose were both gone.

Their life was intertwined not only in a beautiful marriage but in a unified charitable and spiritual mission. She led a vital arm of his organization, a crisis hotline giving Israelis in need a place to call for help. In a moment, she was alone, left behind. The organization that had been their mutual love no longer wanted her help. Depressed, Joelle struggled to get out of bed every day, reliving the horrific moment of finding her husband's lifeless body. Joelle Eckstein turned that unbearable pain into a new purpose to launch her organization, The Eckstein Fund, "Keren Eckstein," in memory of her late husband, with a single focus of relaunching the hotline that was getting an average of 350 calls a day. *9779 was the number people called to get help until the sudden shutdown and termination of 25 employees working at the project. Fortunately, within a year, Joelle was able to reacquire the *9779 number and rebuild the network of over 500 social service partners who assist those calling in need. Today, the phones are answered by two staff members and Joelle, who speaks five languages (Hebrew, French, Spanish, English, and Catalan).

The hotline can help many of the working poor in Israel who live from paycheck to paycheck. One unfortunate event, like the loss of a job, an eviction notice, or a medical emergency, can push them into debt or homelessness.

Immigrants and the elderly make up the majority of the callers. They typically have no idea where to turn or how to access the assistance available to them.

Rabbi Yechiel Eckstein would often say, "Kol Israel Arevim Zeh Bazeh," meaning "All people of Israel are responsible for one another," is the heart of the new organization created in his honor. You can join The Eckstein Fund in making a life-saving difference for Israelis in need. https://k-eckstein.org.il/

The New Auto Toy Store Joins Luxury Chamber June 15th 2020

Heather Lee O'Keefe Miss Fort Lauderdale

Traveling from Florida to Cuba in 2020 Insider Secrets they will not Share

South Florida Publisher Jay Shapiro Travels to Cuba Alone for the First Time and Share's His Experience with Readers

Q.) How can I travel to Cuba from Florida?

A.) Airlines only. Jet Blue, American Airlines and Delta fly from the Miami / Fort Lauderdale region and Southwest flies direct to Havana from Tampa. Its a particularly good time to fly to Havana because travel there is light and light flights means cheap airfare and faster travel time. We arrived in Havana 15 minutes early and on our return flight, we left Jose Marti airport in Havana over a half-hour early and arrived 45 minutes early in Ft. Lauderdale. There were only about 20 people on a plane large enough to hold roughly 200 people.

Q.) Is a visa needed?

A.) Yes, a visa is needed however you do not need to purchase it in advance. Online visa companies charge $85 plus fees for a total of $110 (or more depending on the company) if you wait until right before your flight the day you travel you can purchase the visa for only $50 from the Jet Blue counter agent. *check with the airlines to make sure this is still in effect before traveling.

Q.) What else is required to travel to Cuba?

A.) 1. Current passport not expiring in the next few months. 2. Health insurance. Don't have health insurance? Don't worry, the airlines cover this for everybody. Its already included in the ticket price. 3. A reason for traveling there. You need to have a legitimate reason to travel to Cuba. As a magazine publisher, I chose the category of Journalistic Activity. Some people choose family visits, religious activities, public performance, etc.

Q.) How about the hotel rooms in Havana?

A.) They run anywhere from $7.00 per night for a cheap hostel up to $300 per night for a four-star luxury resort. Paseo del Prado is the newest luxury hotel and is located right downtown in old Havana. If you love cigars and the ocean you may want to consider the Melia Hotels. MeliaCohiba is along the Malecon (Havana Seawall) and within walking distance of downtown Old Havana assuming you have good walking shoes.

Melia Habana is up the road about 5 miles or a $15 cab fare. Melia Habana is right on the ocean and has a huge luxury swimming pool and many high-end restaurants and bars. Other hotels to consider: Hotel Nacional, Hotel Inglaterra, and The Saratoga. We do not recommend spending less than $60 per night for a hotel unless you will be renting from a family. If you do you will be in for a rude awakening. Many of the hotels look like luxury rentals online advertised for $20 or $30 per night but when you arrive there you find out what its like living in an old dilapidated school building with no toilet paper, broken elevators, open windows with no air conditioning and a stench that would make you prefer living in hell.

Q.) How is the food in Cuba?

A.) The food is somewhere between bad to edible. Sometimes you can find good food but its a challenge. The problem lies in the fact that there are literally no grocery stores on the island. There are small government regulated bodegas and they offer some basic staples such as: cooking oil and a few other items. There are no candy bars or potato chips anywhere on the island. The food that is accessible to the local hotels and restaurants falls in line with staples and basics and must be sourced from many different places. The eggs from the egg tienda, the cooking oil from the salesperson or bodega, the meat from the carniceria etc. Some of the five-star hotels are wealthy enough to sneak enough quality ingredients in to make you a good meal. Perhaps they get quality gourmet ingredients from non-U.S. yacht provisioners or travelers from other countries who smuggle them in. Some of the wines on the shelf at the bodega are 2 times more expensive than they are in the U.S. The Saratoga hotel has great mixed drinks and good food but the condiments there are what we would call generic in the U.S. Melia Habana hotel has a great Italian restaurant.

Q.) What attractions would you recommend seeing?

A.) I'm more of an adventure traveler and I believe in traveling light and just showing up and seeing what happens and going wherever you feel like wandering. Cuba is very safe and there is no crime on the island. I wandered around some of the roughest streets of Havana at 2 am after a few drinks and there was no crime or problems. There are literally no drugs on the island. Prostitution is legal so that is not even a crime. 75% of the cars on the island are classic cars so you don't need to go anywhere special to see those. The Tropicana Club was founded in 1939 and they have nice dancing girls 24 hours per day. Just show up to downtown old Havana and start walking around. Almost everything on every block is historic!!

Q.) Do Cubans like Americans?

A.) They love Americans but sadly enough they despise President Trump. Many Cuban-Americans love our president but that simply is not the case on the island. Most people will tell you: Oh, I have a brother in Miami or a cousin in Jacksonville. Don't be afraid to be American but do NOT talk politics!!!

Q.) How do you get around in Havana?

A.) Taxi only. Almost every male on the island is a taxi driver. The licensed taxi drivers will have cars labeled "Taxi" and the non-licensed drivers will come up to you and ask you if you need a taxi. Non-licensed taxi drivers are willing to negotiate the price of the taxi fare. Many taxi drivers have old cars such as 1949 Chevrolets. Some drive newer cars which were built in China or Russia. One of the reasons I wanted to cut my Cuban vacation short is the fact that every few feet I walked someone was coming up to me saying: taxi? Taxi? You need taxi? It gets repetitive and old very fast. You will not need to look far to find a taxi because they will find you.

Q.) Is Cuba safe?

A.) Yes, it is very safe. There are no police in Cuba and the ironic part is that there is no crime either. Some people say that all of the police are undercover but that might just be a rumor to scare the locals and prevent them from committing a crime. If someone did commit a crime in Cuba the punishment would be very very harsh. Prostitution and 24-hour drinking are perfectly legal so you can have enough fun there without breaking their law.

Q.) What about the internet and cell phone usage?

A.) Your cell phone will not work on the island however its wifi will. Facebook works perfectly fine via wifi which is pronounced: We Fee in Spanish. At the hotel, you must purchase a NAUTA ETESCA internet card. ETESCA stands for Empresa de Telecomunicaciones de Cuba and its the state owned internet provider. First, transfer your American dollars to CUC – Pesos Convertibles at the receptionist's desk and then go to the desk that sells the ETESCA internet cards. Purchase either a one hour or five-hour card. They are only a few dollars. Then as if you were enjoying a scratch-off lottery ticket reveal the username and password and then enter it in your phone's wifi login.

>> continued.......

Q.) Which type of money do they accept in Cuba?

A.) There are 3 types of currencies in Cuba. 1. the old Peso which is only for the people who live there. 2. CUC or Pesos Convertibles which is the currency that was created by the government for tourists to use at local businesses. 3. your own local currency which many people will gladly accept. The Cuban currency system is designed so that the government, the local hotels and the Cuban people, in general, can all profit from currency exchange. When you bring $100 to the hotel they will only give you $87 in Peso Convertibles so $13 goes to the hotel and the Cuban Government. Some locals will exchange Pesos for Dollars one for one but be careful who you deal with because while there is virtually no crime on the island the people are hustlers and will try to talk you into buying a box of counterfeit cigars or taking a long cab ride etc.

Q.) Do they speak English in Cuba?

A.) No!! Many people under the age of 50 speak enough English to catch a cab and do basic things but the older people do not speak any English at all. Travel with someone who speaks Spanish.

Q.) Can I bring Cuban cigars home from Cuba?

A.) Yes, you can bring up to 100 cigars and one bottle of Havana Club rum. I bought a box of Cohibas and a bottle of rum and had it in my suitcase and the Cuban customs official stole them from me. He told me that the Rum was the wrong size which I know was total BS because it was the standard-sized bottle. I did have some other cigars stashed in my suit coat pockets that made it through. Once you get beyond the Cuban Customs section at the Jose Marti airport there will be no more searches. Walk into the furthermost section of the airport and there are two places that sell great Cuban cigars. One of them is duty-free and one of them is not. The duty-free place sells cigars for almost 50% cheaper and they are right next to one another. These are 100%authentic cigars. I bought a box of Partagas for $32 USD and they do accept US dollars in that section of the airport. The rum at the airport is more affordable than it is at the bodegas on the streets so do yourself a favor and buy your products at the airport but remember to buy them in the area where you board the plane. NOT in the area before you get searched. Upon arriving the U.S. customs asked me if I had any alcohol and cigars. I said: They took my alcohol in Cuba but I do have cigars in my suitcase. He let me right on through without even searching the suitcase. He was however shocked that Cuban customs illegally confiscated the rum. If there is any crime in Cuba its a crime against humanity and generally not committed by the common citizens!!!

Realtors Making A Real Difference In Broward County A little over four weeks ago Lara Sahakian reached out to great friend Kim Knausz to see if she would like to join her in sending some delicious baked goods to some local hospitals as a Thank You to the ER and CoViD-19 healthcare heroes. Kim immediately jumped on board and the first 4 batches of tasty treats from Love Lee Bakery were on their way.The next day, as the two were meeting up for their daily walk on Las Olas, the conversation shifted from the usual South Florida Real Estate market to what was happening in the world while the Corona 19 pandemic was picking up momentum in the United States. As lockdowns were being announced and many of the local businesses began struggling, these two friends were thinking of ways to help and support their local businesses and healthcare providers.That’s when Kim immediately jumped into action and created a Go Fund Me page and Lara reached out many local restaurants to see if they met strict health and safety guidelines and if they would be willing to deliver directly from their kitchens to the hospitals, in order to avoid any type of cross contamination. “It seemed like a win-win to be able to find a way to continue supporting our hardest hit local businesses while showing healthcare warriors some love and appreciation,” said Sahakian “I have a friend who is a Doctor in the area, and I reached out to him to get some information about the Corona virus and he shared with me that the hospital that he is working at had closed the cafeteria because of the virus and they had no place to get food for themselves on the fly during there 10-18 hour days.”To date, they have delivered 2,500 meals and baked goods to three of the local hospitals in Broward County. By raising funds through a Go Fund Me Page, https://bit.ly/FLLwarriors, they have been able to continue their efforts and have been able to support ten local businesses. The two friends started the Meals for Healthcare Heroes initiative that keeps growing and inspiring daily, across state lines, as new initiatives have sprung up in State College, PA, Orlando, FL Washington, D.C. and New York City by friends and family.

“We are currently supporting three Hospitals in Broward County; Memorial Hospital West, Memorial Hospital Pembroke and Holy Cross Hospital, and so far, we have been able to spread out orders amongst 10 local businesses. We are hoping to get more donations and to be able to continue offering these meals for the healthcare providers on the front lines for as long as the lockdown lasts,” said Sahakian.Participating Restaurants: LoveLee Bakery, Storks Bakery & Coffee House, Pizza Craft, Empire Pizza Café, Tatts & Tacos, Holy Mackerel Brewery, Offerdahl’s Off-The Grill, Mini Donut World, Laspada’s Original Hoagies, and Sublicious.If you are interested in helping and supporting the heroes on the front lines while supporting local businesses in Broward County, visit the GoFundMe page https://bit.ly/FLLwarriors

B

onnet House Battle comes to an end!!

Accredited by the American Alliance of Museums and listed on the National

Register of Historic Places, Bonnet House Museum & Gardens is a 35-acre subtropical estate and historic house museum located in the heart of Fort Lauderdale. Bonnet House, Inc. is a nonprofit, 501c3, whose mission is to preserve this unique historic estate of Frederic and Evelyn Bartlett. Through enjoyable and enriching cultural experiences, the Museum connects today's community to the Bartletts' architectural, artistic and environmental legacy. Bonnet House is located at 900 North Birch Road, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33304 and is open for tours Tuesday– Sunday from 9 a.m.–4 p.m. For more information, visit www.bonnethouse.org.

Photo Courtesy of Larry Soinger

Effective June 1, 2020, Bonnet House Museum & Gardens, whose legal name is Bonnet House, Inc., has taken title to the 35-acre Bonnet House estate in Fort Lauderdale. As part of a property reorganization agreement entered in February, the Florida Trust for Historic Preservation signed over the deed to the historic property on June 1, 2020. The transfer of ownership marks the formal end of what had been a contentious disagreement between the Florida Trust and Bonnet House, Inc., the local not-for-profit that has managed all aspects of the estate's preservation and operation since 1990. The Tallahassee-based Florida Trust had attempted to assume direct management of Bonnet House in February of 2019, but outcry from the local community halted those plans."The board, staff and volunteers are all relieved to see this chapter in the property's history come to a final conclusion," said Patrick Shavloske, CEO of Bonnet House Museum & Gardens. "We can now focus all our efforts on preserving the estate and developing programming that meets the community's needs. We estimate that since Jan. 1, 2020, the reorganization has saved Bonnet House well over $100,000, and with the impact of COVID-19, such savings are even more important.

"Maxine Streeter of Genovese Joblove & Battista and Paige Brody of Brody & Brody represented Bonnet House in its struggle to maintain local control and management of the museum.

The historic and whimsical estate is welcoming guests back for self-guided house tours on Tuesday, June 2. The estate recently welcomed guests back for self-guided grounds tours on May 19. Guests will enjoy a one-way route around the beautiful estate, which is celebrating its 100th anniversary this year.Tickets are $20 for the house and grounds tours, and $10 for the grounds-only tour for all non-members. Tickets are free for members. Daily visits will take place Tuesday–Sunday from 10 a.m.–4 p.m., with early access for members and visitors with potential health vulnerabilities from 9–10 a.m. Limited tickets are available at www.bonnethouse.org/about-all/covid-19/, or at the Bonnet House Museum & Gardens Welcome Center.

Rising Starz Summer Camp Where There's A Will, There's A Way!

With tons of performing arts camps being canceled and theaters not planing to re-open for shows until maybe August, many students are limited with options for this Summer, but we at Rising Starz Music & Performance Academy believe, "The Show Must Go On," so we came up with a new way to give our students an opportunity to perform!

Rising Starz has put together a virtual summer camp experience that will culminate in a video presentation of GREASE, The Musical! Camp Rehearsals will take place online via Zoom and will include acting, choreography, vocal direction, set design (led by American Heritage H.S. Scenic Design Dept. head), lighting, costuming and media production training. Students will rotate to different practice rooms throughout the day and rehearse to prepare for this musical media presentation. Acting Improvisations, Games and Fun Friday challenges are also a part of the experience! Costuming & video taping will be conducted during the last week of camp. The video presentation will then be premiered online for family and friends to enjoy together from all over the world. It's a win win for everyone and we hope to reach as many kids as we can! In addition to keeping our camp fees lower than average, we are also offering tons of special discounts and payment plans to help make this opportunity possible for all families. We are also excited that this project will help provide work for teachers who have been out of work for some time now. As a Coral Spring resident, I am also excited to be able to bring passionate students of the arts together from all over using this new platform! This is giving us all something positive to look forward to and an outlet to share our artistic passions. Please support us in getting the word out! Here is a link with all the details: http://www.risingstarzmusic.com/summer-camps.htmlÂ

New Advertiser Interview - Vera Kosarev Q) Vera can you share a little about your story and what inspired you early on to go into the dance sport/ballroom dance industry?

A) For as long as I can remember, music and dance have always been a part of my life.

My Grandmother, Mayya, worked at as a teacher at a local school in Nizhny, Novgorod, Russia. There, she was also in charge of of several plays and musicals. I always watched in admiration when I was lucky enough to go with her to the rehearsals. My grandfather Yakov, had a beautiful collection of tango songs. He would play them a lot in the house and we would dance around listening to his songs. Both, my mom and grandma, also finished Music School and played piano. After several failed piano classes my family decided to take me to a nearby Dance Studio where I fell in love with ballroom dancing.

Q) What are some of the benefits of dancing?

A) Aside from learning to dance, people come to the studio for many different reasons.

Some come to lose weight, gain more balance and coordination. It is a safe and hands on form of exercise not to mention fun. You do not notice the time go by at all. Others come because they may have lost their significant other or they may be dealing with empty nest syndrome. There have also been multiple studies done that ballroom dancing helps prevent and improve brain function and disease such as Alzheimer’s and MS. There is literally not enough room to list all the benefits here!!!! I love that this spot is inclusive of everyone! It is for any age, size, color, race, ability, gender, you name it. You just need to make that first step through the door!!! I feel that every person needs to know at least a little bit of social dancing. Everybody goes to weddings, cruises, parties and other events.

Vera & Vladimir Kosarev

Q) How did you meet your business, dance and life partner Vladimir?

A) Vladimir and I met in Rochester, NY where we were living at the time. We had a brief encounter when Vladimir first moved from Perm, Russia but it wasn’t until I came back to Fred Astaire, after a break for collage, that we started dating and dancing together. We have been with Fred Astaire Dance Studios for over 15 years.

Q) What have been some of your biggest achievements: A) Vladimir and I have been lucky enough to have many accolades both on the business side, winning top studio both regionally and nationally many times over the last 8 years we have been open, as well as countless top teacher awards.We have also been lucky enough to achieve several title in our professional career that include: Two Time World Masters Smooth Champions, Us National Nine Dance Finalists, Fred Astaire World Champions, Two Time National Fred Astaire Champions, as well as Members Of The Prestigious Fred Astaire Dance Studios National Dance Board & International Dance Council Q) What advice would you give people that are first coming in?

A) Dancing is a trained skill like any other. It takes time! If you want to learn how to play the piano, learn to play golf, or a new language you will not learn it over night. Please have patience. Everyone has a different pace of learning. Also, all dances are interrelated so please have an open mind and let the professional instructor guide you. Many people come in asking for Salsa, however that will not help you in most social situations. You should have a nice repertoire under your belt. In fact, we just went to a “Salsa Night” over the holidays and they probably only played actual Salsa for about 10% of the time.

Q.) How can we take lessons at your studio?

A.) Please visit: https://www.fredastaire.com/coral-gables/special-offers/ We have a special offer for the new year valid until January 31st, 2020. We are also available to answer any questions at: 305-443-0085

Greek Lightning Arrives on Florida Shores No Gen-X girls we did not say Greased Lightning but something to get just as excited about has arrived on the shores of South Florida. Greek Lightning is a Rakomelo, a liqeuer from from Greece which resembles its Italian cousin Grappa. An aromatic mythical beverage made with grape brandy, secret herbs and honey. Cinnamon and honey comprise the gestalt of the flavor profile and while this meld is a Mediterranean favorite, many are unaware of the mythical qualities and health benefits long associated with the two. The natural beverage weights in at a moderate 48 proof and is bottled in the famed olive producing region of Kalamata, Greece. The honey comes from the Taygetos Mountains of Sparta. www.TheGreekLightning.com

Greek Lightning is available at: Big Daddy Liquors!

Christina Ricci - The Wedding Destination Specialist Founding Member Christina Ricci will be helping Luxury Chamber Media Group expand into the Beverly Hills / Los Angeles Market and spending her free time traveling to and networking at both South Florida and CA chamber events. www.EsteemedEscapes.com

Christina Ricci, President and Founder of Esteemed Escapes

by Avanti Travel Service, I have over 20 years experience designing perfect getaways for both individual and group clients‌I love to make dreams come true.

I believe traveling is a mode of learning about the world in a way that expands your mind, and creates memories that touch your senses to enrich you for a lifetime.