Interfaith Ministries for Greater Houston’s Annual Tapestry Gala

Interfaith Ministries for Greater Houston celebrated its 50th Anniversary at its annual Tapestry Gala on Tuesday, April 30, 2019 at The Post Oak Hotel. The event hosted nearly 600 guests who raised almost $650,000 for its four most prominent programs: Meals on Wheels / Animeals; Refugee Services; Interfaith Relations & Community Partnerships; and Volunteer Houston.

Board Chair Shaukat Zakaria and President/CEO Martin B. Cominsky thanked the attendees for celebrating the Interfaith Ministries’ Golden Anniversary and recognized community leaders that have helped it to become what it is today. Honorees Brigitte and Bashar Kalai were commended for their support in the recent opening of the Brigitte & Bashar Kalai Plaza of Respect. Also thanked was the Shell corporation, a long-time lead sponsor of the Meals on Wheels program. Harris County Judge Lina Hildalgo also took the stage to share her excitement of the 50th Anniversary.

Gala emcee and KHOU Great Day Houston Host Deborah Duncan welcomed guests; Spirit of Respect recipient Rabbi Roy Walter; Palladium Weaver sponsor Shell Oil Company; President Emeritus Elliot Gershenson and his wife Alyson Gershenson; and Gala co-chairs Shaista and Shahzad Bashir, Bimla and Swatantra Jain, Dr. Sushma and Devinder Mahajan, Lorraine and Ed Wulfe, and Nihala and Shaukat Zakaria.

Duncan took guests down memory lane to recognize the impact the Ministry has had in Houston during the 1960s and 70s. Guests enjoyed a performance of The Age of Aquarius and Let the Sunshine In. Ed Wulfe and Myra Lipper gave special remarks about Rabbi Roy A. Walter before Cominsky and Zakaria presented the Rabbi with the inaugural Spirit of Respect award.

City of Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner took the stage to speak about the organization’s legacy and to recognize the Kalais’ contributions in bringing Houstonians from all faiths together and celebrating diversity. The evening concluded with a performance of Can You Feel a Brand New Day.

Guests enjoyed buratta and heirloom salad served with quinoa, roasted yellow bell pepper sauce and micro basil garnish; pan seared red snapper and beef tenderloin served with potato puree and seasonal vegetables; and for dessert, a chocolate caramel tart and crème fraiche cheesecake.

Notable guests included: Susan and Dan Boggio, Brigitte and Bashar Kalai, Patti and Richard Everett, Karyn and Charles Crisp, EOG Resources, Frost Bank, Dotty and Lawrence Kagan, Fran Zandstra and Duane Failing, CenterPoint Energy, Suzanne and Randall Evans, Mary Gwen and Ben Hulsey, the Islamic Society of Greater Houston, Bimla and Swatantra Jain, Sippi and Ajay Khurana, Anuradha and Mani Subramanian, and Valley.