The evening’s purpose: honor two civically active New Haven couples, and support a yeshiva and a neighborhood. The guest list: neighbors along with high-powered guests, including a U.S. Senate hopeful and a lieutenant governor.
The event was the annual awards dinner held by the Yeshiva of New Haven and the Edgewood/Elm neighborhood improvement association. It drew 100 people to the Yale Law School dining hall Sunday night for a scrumptious spread and then tribute speeches.
The annual event is a don’t‑miss not just for local politicians, but also for statewide figures. Former Republican U.S. Congressman Rob Simmons, who’s immersed in (and currently leading, according to the polls) a campaign to unseat U.S. Sen. Chris Dodd in 2010, came early and hung around. He’s pictured with Lt. Gov. Micheal Fedele at right and Rabbi Dov Greer of the Yeshiva at left.
No sign of Dodd all night, although the senator has otherwise made a point of popping into town since financial scandals sent his approval rates tanking.
The event raised money for the Elm Street yeshiva as well as for Edgewood/Elm, which has stabilized the neighborhood by rescuing and renovated dozens of beautiful but neglected old homes.
The event also honored two busy couples: Westville Alderwoman Ina Silverman (at center in photo with Edgewood/Elm’s William Gallagher) and radiologist and Beth El Keser Israel synagogue President Jay Sokolow …
… along with Peter and Frances Dodge, whose Edge of the Woods natural foods store has become an anchor of Whalley Avenue as well as a crossroads for the area’s melting pot of ethnic and religious groups. (Peter Dodge is at left in photo with Edgewood organizer Eli Greer.)
Other notables spotted mingling Sunday night included State Sen. Martin Looney; State Rep. Pat Dillon; Probate Judge Jack Keyes (the master of ceremonies); Aldermen Yusuf Shah and Liz McCormack, and Moti Sandman; city neighborhood workers Elaine Braffman and Jim Turcio; Assistant Police Chief Pete Reichard; and Lt. Leo Bombalicki (pictured), top cop in the Greers’ neighborhood.