May 26th. The Turkish Cultural Center Brooklyn host their 7th Annual Friendship Dinner and Award Ceremony and the event was a wonderful success with a full attendance of community leaders and guests from a variety of backgrounds and faiths, making it a truly inter-cultural, inter-faith and International affair.
Guests enjoyed a delicious buffet dinner of traditional Turkish food and just before the award ceremony began, were treated to a short concert of Sufi music, provided by Amir Vahab and his ensemble.
The theme for this year’s event was “Peace Building Through Intercultural Dialogue” and there were four Honorees:
New York State Senator Mrs. Roxanne J. Persaud: Who was Honored for her outstanding commitment and dedication through public service. Councilman Mark Treyger: For his years of self sacrifice and leadership to solve problems in the society.
Father Eugene Pappas: For his big effort to the Interfaith Dialogue in every Ramadan month.
Nora Elbassiony: Who was honored for the Annual Ramadan Iftar Dinner project between Jewish and Muslim Communty in Kings Bay Y every year which inspired by her.
Also in attendance, was the Brooklyn Borough President, Mr. Eric L. Adams who presented Ms. Roxanne with her Award and who spoke briefly about “this wonderful event”
Guest speakers were Rabbi Andy Bachman and Hakan Yesilova, who both spoke eloquently and earnestly about how building peace with Intercultural Dialogue for our future generations to be more tolerant and understanding of their peers of differing faiths and cultures, is the most important path toward peace in our Borough, our City, our Country and our World.
Representatives , Assemblyman Steven Cymbrovitz, Assemblyman Felix W. Ortiz ,District Leader Nancy Tong were also in attendance along with Lisa Lashley and members of NYPD.
Executive Director of Turkish Cultural Brooklyn Fethullah Onal specified his appreciation to the Executive Director of Kings Bay Y Leonard Petlakh for his sincerely support for that wonderful event.
We gratefully acknowledge and thank our sponsors – ( Masal Cafe, – Leader Meat – Istanbul Restaurant – Vatan Market – Istanbul Park – Brooklyn Amity School – Kings Bay Y – Aba Restaurant – Guide Connection)…. and to everyone who attended and showed their support for this wonderful event, which has, at this point, become one of the more prestigious events taking place annually in the Borough of Brooklyn.
