Despite a slightly soggy start to the night, Sababa Social Club’s summer party went on as planned.
The Marty Einhorn Pavilion provided great shelter from the rain as Sababa committee members Alene Jo Kaufman and Ellen Hundley assisted United Jewish Federation of Tidewater staff set up for the big night. By the time Fretomology band members Brad Bangel, Kenny Berklee, Lance Epstein, and Lonnie Slone arrived, the rain had stopped, and the music began.
“What an incredible evening,” Hundley says. “Running into old friends from my teen years was a blast! Everyone seemed to thoroughly enjoy themselves. The weather ended up being perfect, the entertainment was awesome, and the sangria was a great addition.”
The sangria, which was Hundley’s brainchild, has become somewhat of a Sababa signature. Attendees also noshed on simple Israeli snacks as they listened—and danced—to Fretomology’s jams.
Fretomology’s motto is “Rock on, do good.” The band members’ goal is to give back to their community, and 100% of their proceeds are donated to charity.
“Sababa started as a way to bring our generation together,” says Sara Jo Rubin, Sababa committee chairperson. “What’s been great is that we are reacquainting with old friends and making new ones, too.”
Sababa hosts social events two to three times per year.
For information about future Sababa events, contact Hunter Thomas, director of Arts + Ideas at United Jewish Federation of Tidewater, at HThomas@UJFT.org.
Photography by Mark Robbins
–Hunter Thomas