Tuesday, November 29th, was a night to remember! Jewish Federation Los Angeles hosted our 2nd annual young adult fundraiser at the Avalon Hollywood, bringing together hundreds of young professionals from all over Los Angeles for a night of inspiration and philanthropy. James Corden, Host of The Late Late Show with James Corden, headlined the evening’s impressive cast of talent that included Ben Winston, Executive Producer of The Late Late Show with James Corden; Kevin Demoff, Executive Vice President of Football Operations and Chief Operating Officer of the Los Angeles Rams; and Milana Vayntrub, Comedian, Director, Actress, and Founder of Can’t Do Nothing. With music DJed by Michael Goldfarb (aka DJ Sherpa) and DJ Pablo Bandr and a special musical performance by singer/songwriter Shanee Pink, guests enjoyed socializing and sampling the tasty food offerings — from trendy poke to classic burgers, MainStage had it all.
Ben Gleib, Host and Executive Producer of Idiotest, acted as MainStage’s Master of Ceremonies, and was tasked with interviewing some of the guest speakers — and he rocked it! First up on stage was Kevin Demoff, who discussed the ways football, the Rams, and the L.A. community intersect.
James Corden and Ben Winston then shared the spotlight to engage in friendly dialogue revolving around their unique transitions to life in the U.S. and their joint work life. They kept the audience members engrossed with stories of the endless fun they have on set. Winston, raised Jewish, was open about observing Shabbat, the meaningful impact it had on him as a child, and his reasons for continuing the tradition now that he has a family of his own. Before their segment concluded, an audience member posed the question to James Corden, “What would you say to your 22-year-old self?” His response: “At every point in my life, I have never been aware of how young I was and how unbelievably open the world of possibilities are. There is nothing out of the realm of your capabilities. Nothing is off limits.” Milana Vayntrub closed the program with her inspirational talk about how being Jewish has impacted her personally and professionally.
Jay Sanderson, President & CEO of Jewish Federation Los Angeles, said, “These young professionals are the future of the Jewish community, and it was inspiring to see everyone come together to learn about the Federation’s work as well as hear from our incredible speakers.” Ben Winston was grateful for the opportunity to participate in MainStage, remarking, “It was an honor to be here today. What the Federation does is so important.”
To learn more about MainStage, our Federation, and exciting opportunities for young adults, please contact Connect@JewishLA.org.
Photography Credit: Joshua Krause with Howard Pasamanick Photography
