(Click HERE for photos) More than 100 members of the North Miami Beach community gathered on Wednesday night for a cocktail reception in support of Mayor Alverez who is running unopposed for a second term as Mayor of Miami-Dade in Florida.
 
The event was hosted in the North Miami Beach home of Yehuda Kaploun, a noted community leader and honorary Executive Vice President of the Moses and Aaron Foundation.

Mayor Alvarez is a well recognized leader, and in conjunction with the senior staff members, who were also in attendance, has paid close attention to the concerns of the North Miami Beach community. He has kept a particularly keen eye on the areas of community security, traffic control, lighting and safety programs.

Many distinguished community leaders were joined by the leading rabbis of the North Miami Beach community at this event. This important group included Rabbis Groner,  (kahal Chassidim), Rabbi E. Shapiro (Shaarie Tefilla), Rabbi Y. Marlow (Beis Menachem),  Rabbi Shmeltzer (Rosh Kollel), Rabbi Lankry (Sefardic Community), Rabbi Matz, the Florida representative of Agudas Israel, and Rabbi Palgon and Rabbi Neiman from Toras Emes.

In his remarks introducing Mayor Alvarez, Rabbi Yehuda Kaploun spoke about the concept of Hakoras Hatov (recognizing and thanking people for the good work that they do), as well as the concept that before shavuos we stood  K’ish  Echod Belave Echod – that  working together we can achieve  the best for our community and our children. He also recognized the Chief of Staff Dennis Morales, and the Mayors Counsel Luis Gazitua and thanked them for their work. He also thanked the Chiefs of the many Police Departments who were in attendance as well as Major Jeter who is in command of this community. He then presented the mayor with the Book in G-d we trust based on letters from the  Lubavitcher Rebbe ZT”L.

In his comments to the assembled group Mayor Alvarez discussed his plans for the next four years. In particular he expressed his interest in assisting children with special needs, and continuing to improve the quality of life for the residents of North Miami Beach, and Miami Beach and Communities. He expressed his thanks to his host Rabbi Yehuda Kaploun and his wife Lea and to the rabbis of the community for their attendance, and hoped to maintain this warm relationship in the future. He stated that he has an open door policy for Yehuda at all times and they always work together for the best interests of the Jewish Communities of Miami Dade Counties.

(YWN Desk)