2023 ACTIVITIES & ENTERTAINMENT
Your holiday will be enhanced by our lineup of captivating performances and exciting activities.
SUPERSTAR, MORDECHAI SHAPIRO
Mordechai Shapiro was born in 1989 in Monsey, New York. His father was a chazzan and his mother had a background as a trained opera singer. Growing up in a Modern Orthodox household, he attended Ashar Adolph Schreiber Hebrew Academy for elementary school, and the Marsha Stern Talmudical Academy for high school. Following his graduation from high school, Shapiro learned in Netiv Aryeh and then Bais Yisroel. Shapiro made his musical debut in 1997 as the star soloist of the Miami Boys Choir. As a child, he performed with Jewish entertainers such as Yaakov Shwekey even before he gained significant attention. He left Miami Boys Choir in 2003 when his voice became too deep to fit into a children's choir.
After leaving the choir, Shapiro took a break from music until his voice transitioned sufficiently. He was a student of voice teacher William Riley, who also taught Celine Dion and Josh Groban. Eventually, he began performing at weddings and other Jewish events as an independent artist.
Shapiro's solo career debuted in 2016 when he was signed by producer Yitzy Waldner, with the release of his album Kol Haderech, with songs such as schar mitzvah, peaking at #15 on the Billboard World Music chart. The album was followed by Machar in 2017, peaking at #3. and Hakol Mishamayim in 2019, peaking at #7. Most recently Mordechai released two new tracks and music videos, Ein Od Milvado, and a new Pesach song, Vehi Sheamda. Shapiro currently has over 30 million views on youtube combined and is working on two new albums at the moment.
COMEDIAN, ELON GOLD
Elon Gold is a comedian and actor who has starred in FOX's 'Stacked’ and NBC's 'In-Laws’. His one hour stand up special on Netflix, “Elon Gold: Chosen & Taken” received wide acclaim from audiences and peers alike. It is currently streaming on Amazon Prime.
He has made ten appearances on 'The Tonight Show' and had a recurring role on the FOX hit show, 'Bones’.
Elon was a writer/performer on ABC's 'The Dana Carvey Show' and has guest starred on 'Frasier', 'The Mentalist', 'Chappelle's Show' among others.
He recently made stellar appearances on “The Late Late Show With James Corden” and Comedy Central’s “This Week At The Comedy Cellar”. His routines have gone viral and are shared by millions around the globe.
He is also currently featured in the HULU movie “The Binge” and in season 3 of HBO’s “Crashing” playing his most challenging role yet…himself.
Elon can next be seen opposite Larry David in a recurring role on the upcoming 11th season of ‘Curb Your Enthusiasm’.
ILLUSIONIST, RICK THOMAS
Without doubt, Rick Thomas is one of the greatest and most successful illusionists in the world today. He has completed five world tours covering over 50 countries. From sold out performances at Caesars Colosseum, headlining the Sydney Opera House in Australia starring in Las Vegas for 15 straight years and astonishing audiences on Broadway, Rick Thomas continues to entertain millions of people across the world.
High honors include the coveted “Magician of the Year” by the Academy of Magical Arts and Magic’s highest recognition "Illusionist of the World" by the World Magic Awards. Branson honors include Branson’s Best Entertainer, Best Show, and Best Illusionist. Thomas has also been featured on numerous national television specials including the NBC series "The World’s Greatest Magic", Masters of Illusion on the CW, MTV, FOX, TLC, Animal Planet, the History Channel and his own special on ABC.
Rick Thomas is a renowned Las Vegas performer. Few entertainers have succeeded in Vegas like Rick Thomas. His show has run consecutively for 15 years in the most magnificent theaters on the Las Vegas Strip, performing a staggering 600 shows a year. Rick Thomas performs the most intriguing, innovative, and mind-blowing grand illusions in the world with a style unlike any other magical entertainer.
COMEDIAN, TALIA REESE
As a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania and ("moral") bankruptcy lawyer, it was unlikely that Talia's comedy career would start off in bar basements and midnight open mics, but that's where her soul was redeemed. Her set is high-energy, quick paced and autobiographical. The New York Post recently featured a nearly full-page article about her life and comedy and called her a "Hot Ticket". Talia is a regular contributor to the Fox News Channel and works nightly at top New York City comedy clubs. Her affable stage presence and sharp wit have also garnered her appearances on The Wendy Williams Show and Spike TV. Newsday Long Island has also taken notice, calling her a "rising star". Talia has completed residencies at The Borgata Hotel and Casino in Atlantic City, NJ and Mohegan Sun in Wilkes-Barre, PA. She continues to be a constant presence at Jewish events and fundraisers.
PING PONG CHAMPION, ESTEE ACKERMAN
Estee Ackerman is a nationally ranked table tennis player. Estee is USA #17 for Junior Girls and top 40 for all women in America. In 2016, she became the first Orthodox Jewish athlete and one of only sixteen women to try out for the Olympics for Team USA.
Estee is the Girls Junior Olympic Champion for Singles and Doubles and has won many medals at the US Open and US Nationals. She has appeared on TV and made a YouTube video with the soccer team, the NY Cosmos. Estee does not play tournaments on Shabbos or Yom Tov and has been dubbed the "Sandy Koufax of Ping Pong". Ackerman hopes to try and make the 2020 Olympics.
CASINO NIGHT