Miss
Universe |
HEBREW UNIVERSITY
Miss Universe Comes,
So Does Bill Clinton
Story by Tim Boxer
Photos by Nina Boxer
 OLITICAL
satirist Al Franken noted the presence of gorgeous Miss
Universe 2001 (Denise M. Quinones of Puerto Rico) in the
Starlight Roof of the Waldorf-Astoria. “Which is why Bill Clinton
is here,” he cracked. “The reason I’m here is to honor Bruce
Schonbraun – whom I don’t know.”
Bill
Clinton and Frank Lautenberg |
Franken added the right degree of levity for a
fundraising effort of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem in these
trying days of terror in the world.
American Friends of Hebrew University invited
supporters to a black-tie gala to benefit the Lautenberg Research
Center for General and Tumor Immunology at the university’s
Hadassah Medical Center. It was founded in 1968 by Frank
Lautenberg, former U.S. senator from New Jersey, who noted that
his father died of cancer at age 43 when the son was 18 and in the
Army.
“Al Franken has wit and brains – but no
class,” Lautenberg declared to general approval.
Miss
Universe and Bruce S. Schonbraun |
No matter. The black-tie audience loved
Franken’s satirical quips, especially his observation that the
U.S. planes dropped 150,000 tons of ordnance in Afghanistan and did
$37 worth of damage.
Franken offered the ultimate solution to win
the war: Stop buying heroin – hit them in the pocket!
“One day,” Bill Clinton said, “there will
be a Jewish president in the White House. Thank God it won’t be
you, Al. You’re my friend, but you’re a twisted soul.”
The former president Clinton urged the nation
not to believe that all Muslims agree with Osama bin Laden.
“It would be a mistake to blame all Muslims.
We need to support the moderate and secular elements in the Muslim
world, and support democracy.”
Bruce S. Schonbraun and
Frank Lautenberg
|
The evening’s honoree was Bruce S. Schonbraun,
managing partner of Schonbraun Safris McCann Bekritsky & Co., a
national accounting and real estate consulting firm based in
Roseland, N.J.
The event raised one million dollars even
though, as Schonbraun pointed out, “we had to change the date,
move to a smaller ballroom and turn people away.”
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