New York’s Renaissance Man

New York’s Renaissance Man

The who’s-who of New York’s social and literary scenes raised their glasses in a toast to former Ambassador John L. Loeb Jr., chairman of the George Washington Institute for Religious Freedom, on the publication of his new book, An American Experience: Adeline Moses Loeb and Her Early American Jewish Ancestors. Lady Liliana Cavendish, Prince Dimitri of Yugoslavia, Denise Rich, Richard Turley, Amy Fine Collins, Jonathan and Somers Farkas, Wendy Carduna, Bettina Zilkha, Marjorie Reed Gordon, George Gurley and Hilary Heard, Lucia Hwong Gordon, Yaz Hernandez, Ann Rapp, and Barbara de Portago were in attendance to support the man of the hour, Ambassador Loeb, and his fascinating family memoir.

The book, published by The Sons of the Revolution in the State of New York, has already received a warm reception from reviewers. Stephen Birmingham, author of Our Crowd says it is, “an extraordinary tapestry composed of variously colored threads—of anecdote, of biography, of memoir, of scholarly genealogy, and of rich American history.” With a foreword by Ambassador Loeb (a former ambassador to Denmark, and a grandson of Adeline Moses Loeb and Carl Loeb) followed by a revealing introduction by author and Southern historian Eli N. Evans, the book promises to become a “must-read” in the literary lives of those who treasure family memoirs.

Ambassador Loeb has played a large role in bringing public awareness to American Jewish history, as well as supporting and initiating projects and organizations related to Jewish heritage. In the 1970s, he and the Loeb family funded and helped to organize “The Jewish Community In Early New York 1654-1800,” an exhibit featured at the Fraunces Tavern Museum® in New York City. More recently, Ambassador Loeb initiated and helped fund a similar exhibit at the Museum of the City of New York, called “Tolerance and Identity: Jews in Early New York, 1654-1825.”

Additionally, Ambassador Loeb is a pioneer in the wine world—in his role as president of Sonoma-Loeb Wines. Although other U.S. vineyards have claimed their wineries hold carbon neutral status, Sonoma-Loeb is the first to achieve carbon neutrality in producing bottled wine, meaning that the carbon footprint of the production and delivery of the bottle to the consumer has been totally offset. Ambassador Loeb says,
“Protecting our national resources has always been a top priority and now with everyone claiming to be green and environmentally-friendly, we wanted to be transparent.” First bottled in 1991 early in the California wine revolution, Sonoma-Loeb Private Reserve Chardonnay is modeled after the Montrachet wines from Burgundy but, at about $30 per bottle, available at a fraction of the price of the great French wines. The Private Reserve Chardonnay has earned ratings as high as 93 points from The Wine Spectator magazine and 90 points from wine expert Robert Parker.
Cheers to Ambassador Loeb, who has made in indelible footprint with his work in philanthropy, history, community, and the environment.

The book can be purchased through:
· Sons of the Revolution In the State of New York 212-425-1776 ext. 10 or ext. 14
or email 2administrator@sonsoftherevolution.org
· http://www.syracuseuniversitypress.syr.edu/spring-2009/american-experience.html
· www.amazon.com
· www.barnesandnobel.com
For more information on Sonoma-Loeb Winery and Carbon Solutions America please visit:
www.carbonsolutionsamerica.com. For more information on the George Washington Institute of Religious Freedom, please visit www.gwirf.org.