2016 comes to the Hamptons this weekend
This weekend, the Hamptons Jewish community will host not one, but two 2016 presidential candidates. Senators Marco Rubio and Lindsey Graham will both address the Hampton Synagogue on Saturday. Rubio, who will speak to the congregation during morning services, has at least three other Long Island fundraisers planned for the weekend. His hosts include Marlene and Daniel Arbess, Carol and Jerry Levin, Terri and Andrew Herenstein, and Jorge and Francesca Madruga. Lindsey Graham will be interviewed by Jeffrey Wiesenfeld and Hank Sheinkopf during the synagogue’s ‘Seudah Shlishit’ on Saturday evening, according to Rabbi Marc Schneier. 2016 candidate and former New York Gov. George Pataki spoke at the Hampton Synagogue last Saturday.
The Hampton Synagogue was featured in the Wall Street Journal several years ago for their well-known ‘kiddush’ after Saturday services throughout the summer.
“In Westhampton, N.Y., Rabbi Schneier’s synagogue has private sponsors each week who shell out $7,200 for food and $1,800 or more for the ever-changing bar—which may, incidentally, include rum-based mojitos, Champagne-infused Bellinis and the like. The L’chaim liquor table costs an additional $1,800—so the total can exceed $10,000 for a single Sabbath.”
On Saturday evening, Marlene and Daniel Arbess will host Rubio in Sagaponack for a cocktail reception. Arbess was, until recently, a partner at Perella Weinberg and is also a co-founder of the political group No-Labels. Former Senator Joe Lieberman is a co-chair of the No Labels group which looks to promote bipartisan collaboration in Congress.
On Sunday, Rubio will have brunch at the home of Jerry W. Levin and his wife Carol in Quiogue, New York. Levin is the former CEO of Revlon whose Chairman, Ron Perelman, is supporting both Lindsey Graham and Jeb Bush this cycle. Tickets to the brunch cost $1,000 and a VIP photo reception is $5,400 per couple.
In case one brunch is not enough to fill his financial appetite, Rubio will then move on to the Madruga family’s residence in Sands Point for a fundraiser with a ticket price of $5,400 per couple. Jorge Madruga, a native of Cuba, is a real estate developer who, together with his wife Francesca, runs Maddd Equities.