Burbank Temple Emanu El’s Early Childhood Center hosted a “Cocktails Under the Stars” fundraiser this past Saturday evening. The event was organized by the preschool’s PTA and featured a silent auction of items from local businesses.
Luna Vine Wine Bar, which opens this fall in Burbank’s Magnolia Park very generously sponsored the event and provided all of the wine and appetizers. Luna Vine’s owner Shannan VerGow, was there pouring the wine herself and spreading the word about the exciting new wine bar in town. As VerGow states: “Our primary focus will be to find beautiful boutique wines from winemakers around the world and bring them home to Luna Vine. In other words we want to ‘Think Globally and Drink Locally.’ Our chef will be preparing seasonal, farm fresh ingredients sourced from local organic and sustainable farms and farmers markets.”
The monies raised at the event will benefit the Outdoor Playground Project at Burbank Temple Emanu El. The BTEE Early Childhood Center has been re-vamping and upgrading its preschool since new Director Leeron Tal Dvir, started there in November 2011. “Children these days are deprived of experiences in nature. Given the opportunity, they enjoy playing with natural materials such as rocks, sand, and water. Our preschoolers are learning about the world they live in and how to respect it. We hope that by developing the outdoor areas of our school, our students will appreciate their bodies and surroundings by growing their own vegetables and taking care of the garden.”
Additional sponsors included – Burbank Rentals, Trader Joes, Nature Made, Jelly Bean Factory, Oak Creek Ranch Topanga, Urban Sitter, Glenoaks Pharmacy, Jivita Harris-Casey Jewelry and Warner Bros.
Since 1947, Burbank Temple Emanu El has served the East San Fernando Valley as a vibrant family-friendly Jewish community for all ages. BTEE is an evolving, egalitarian congregation that strives to enhance and enrich Jewish life for its members by upholding the tenets of Conservative Judaism. In addition to Friday night and Saturday morning services, the synagogue runs a preschool that is open to the entire Burbank community, a two-day-a-week religious school that prepares youth for bar and bat mitzvah, confirmation classes, adult education programs and more. For more information, please call 818-845-1734 or visit www.btee.org.