Prizes galore at TA’s Chinese auction fundraiser

SUZANNE BELLING

PHOTOGRAPHS: JOFFIE BERKOWITZ

Pictured: Part of the pre-grade girls providing entertainment.

Last week’s Chinese auction was an all-out effort by Torah Academy Nursery School to expand the current school, increase the building and furnish three new classrooms.

Rabbi Shabsy Chaiton, administrator of Torah Academy, explained that the difference between a raffle and a Chinese auction is that a raffle offered multiple prizes drawn from one “hat” from which names were drawn, but the Chinese version had a separate prize in different draws.

“This allows ticket buyers to choose which prize to focus on, as opposed to having the first, second and third prize winner,” he said.

A record 600 people attended the event held in the HOD hall in Johannesburg. It included a full bar, finger supper and décor by Kari Berkowitz.

The event organiser was Nechama Sarchi, assisted by the Torah Academy Nursery School staff, the Lubavitch House staff and the PTA.

Guests were entertained by Esther Chaiton’s pre-grade girls, with renowned comedian Nik Rabinowitz as master of ceremonies.

The main winners of the auction were Pam Yachad – a car; Goldie Raitport – a trip to Cape Town for two with luggage and accommodation; Baila Arenstein – one year’s free nursery school tuition at TA; Mickey Ettelson – “split the pot”, a cash prize of R7 000, being half the money contributed to the pot by participants; Aron Grinshtein – accommodation at Mahikeng Lodge; and Philip Jacobson – prizes from the Glenfiddich Collection and an Afrimode voucher.