ELIAV BARR

DEAR ALL,

Welcome to www.toasttosixty.com, my birthday celebration page! I hope that you are ready to have a wonderful time celebrating my 60th birthday (gulp!). The party will be held on Saturday May 11th at 6:00 PM.

Over the years, Paul and I have celebrated big events with big celebrations with friends and family: a surprise trip to New Orleans with friends for Paul’s 30th, a weekend with friends and family in New York for my 40th, our wedding in Napa in 2016. Now comes another big milestone: my big 6-0.  

I could say a lot of trite things: “60 is the new 50”, “I can’t believe I am so old”, “Wow, it doesn’t feel like I’d imagined”. But as I sit here today (I am writing this in mid-October 2023), with the horrific pogrom in Israel fresh in my mind, I have to say that I am just feeling grateful - to all the people and beings (Orion, Cir-El and Calypso, that means you) who have challenged, taught, corrected, entertained, sustained, supported, loved, and enriched me. I am so lucky to have such a wonderful group of family and friends in my life. Each one of you is a beautiful flame: unique, bright, colorful, and warm. 

And so, I am thrilled to celebrate my 60th birthday celebration with all of you. We will have a wonderful time in the Philadelphia, the City of Brotherly Love. 

For those of you coming from out-of-town, you will have a great opportunity to see the city during the best time of the year to visit, when the flowers are blooming all over the city and the trees are bright green with new leaves. The hotels we have selected are right in Center City, close to all of the tourist sites of the city and the birthday party on Saturday night. 

Speaking of the Birthday Party itself, we will have an evening of fine wine, great food, and hearty merriment at the Masonic Temple at 1 North Broad, an exceptionally beautiful gem that I wager many of the in-town folks do not know even exists. The Temple includes a small but spectacular museum housing the masonic aprons of Ben Franklin, George Washington, and Ullyses S. Grant, along with ornate, beautifully-appointed halls decorated to evoke each of the great ancient civilizations. 

So… take a look at the website: 

We have details of the main event on Saturday night. 

For out-of-town guests, check out the sections on flights, hotels, and list of tourist activities that might be of interest over the weekend. We will have a Sunday breakfast at a great viewpoint for pictures before departures.

Family, we will also have a Friday night dinner!

Finally, we do not expect any gifts! However, should you be inclined, I’d ask you to contribute to Magen David Adom ("Red Star of David"). This is Israel's only official emergency medical, disaster and ambulance service.  Your contributions will support care for the injured and displaced in Israel.

with love,

ELIAV