Israeli Ambassador's Ball
A Night to Remember

Belly dancing, actress Natalie Portman, and Israeli dance troupe MIX all in one room? The annual Israeli Ambassador's Ball, chaired by Annie and Sami Totah, celebrated Israel's 55th anniversary with "A Passage to Israel: A Night to Remember" at the Grand Hyatt Washington on June 1st.

The event drew a mix of foreign ambassadors, the Jewish community, members of Congress, and the administration. Each year, an entertainer is recognized for his or her support for Israel; this year's Israel Cultural Award was presented to Ms. Portman by Israeli ambassador Daniel Ayalon, who, along with his wife Anne, were making their first appearance at the gala.

Admission to the ball is through investment in a minimum $3000 State of Israel bond ($1000 bond investment plus couvert for those 40 and under). The event raised $6.5 million for the State of Israel.

1) Anne Ayalon & Israeli Ambassador Daniel Ayalon 2) Natalie Portman 3) Annie Totah, Natalie Portman & Roya Kingdom 4) Israeli Ambassador Daniel Ayalon & Eritrean Ambassador Girma Asmerom 5) Kerena & Sami Totah 6) Myrtle & Dr. Cyrus Katzen 7) Lilian Aben Sohn & Health and Human Services Secretary Tommy Thompson 8) David Shaoal, Ziva Shaoal & Avyatar Al Farsi 9) Myrna & Herbert Haft 10) Diana Epstein 11) German Ambassador Wolfgang Eschinger & Columbian Ambassador Luis Moreno 12) Jonathan Marcus, Diana Bobrow & Ilana Ingber 13) Israeli Dancers from the dance troupe MIX