After four months of meticulous planning and promoting by Sephardic National Alliance and SephardicDating.com, the International Sephardic Shabbaton in Miami Beach, FL finally took place.
Singles from the US, Canada, Mexico, Panama, Venezuela and other parts of the world united for an exciting weekend. Moshe Frances, Director of SephardicDating.com, a new exclusive online dating service for the global Sephardic singles community, with help from his colleagues Eli Rouimi, Alberto Behoron and Sidney Levy, made sure everyone felt comfortable.
Over 70 singles (aged 25 to 40) were welcomed by the B’nei Zion Sephardic Congregation in Sunny Isles Beach (178 St and Collins Ave.). Those who arrived on Thursday attended a fun private bowling party. Then on Friday, between 2 and 4 pm, after everyone had arrived and checked into their hotels, all the singles gathered in front of the synagogue, where they began to get to know each other. Daytime quickly turned to evening and they headed into the synagogue for evening services.
The wonderful Sephardic chanting by Rabbi Muratov was followed by a warm welcome from Rabbi Lankry, rabbi of the synagogue and Spiritual Consultant for the Shabbaton.
Afterwards, everyone went to the synagogue’s grand hall where they were greeted by a warm ambiance and a sumptuous traditional Sephardic-Mediterranean meal. Dinner lasted longer than expected, as people sang beautiful zemirot (songs for Shabbat) songs.
After the meal, everyone congregated in the synagogue’s social hall for exciting games, the perfect way to break the ice. By the end of the evening, people mingled as if they were old friends. It was the perfect place to look for that special someone. Finally, at 1 am, everyone headed back to their hotels.
The next day, after prayers and a lovely meal, it was time for some fun in the sun. The majority of the crowd headed to the pool at the Le Meridian Hotel. People relaxed, enjoying the warm Florida weather, the spectacular view and scintillating conversations.
Later Minha services were held at the synagogue, followed by the Seudat Shelishit (the third Shabbat meal). After Shabbat, everyone was invited to an outdoor cafe where they relaxed and enjoyed a drink or two with their new friends. Lots of photos were taken, phone numbers were exchanged and there was a surprise birthday party for Moshe Frances. Still later, the group headed to the South Beach District.
The next day there was a brief lunch at the synagogue, followed by a cruise around Miami on the Island Queen. The marina and marketplace were beautiful, the perfect finishing touch to a wonderful vacation.
When all was said and done, everyone had a great time. The ongoing feedback has been incredibly positive. Sephardic National Alliance and SephardicDating.com were asked to conduct many more events together in the near future. To receive information about future events visit SephardicDating.com.
