Social Circuit

The Madlyn and Leonard Abramson Center for Jewish Life celebrated the 20th anniversary of its annual benefit, the Rainbow Ball, Oct. 23 at the Loews Philadelphia Hotel. Sylvia and Martin Kreithen received the center's Family Award in recognition of their commitment to improving the quality of life of older adults. The gala for 470 guests and its Family Album tribute book grossed more than $693,000 for the Horsham center, which provides services for seniors, including nursing care, residential living, hospice, and transitional care.

James Judd conducted the Curtis Symphony Orchestra's season premiere concert Oct. 25 at the Kimmel Center in a program of works by Elgar, Ravel, and Brahms. The Guarneri String Quartet, whose four members are Curtis Institute of Music alumni, received the annual Alumni Award from Curtis president Roberto Díaz. Preceding the concert, 310 guests enjoyed cocktails and dinner at the Park Hyatt at the Bellevue. The gala, chaired by Milton L. Rock and his wife Constance Benoliel Rock, raised $215,000 for the school's Student Assistance Fund.

The 23d Wyck-Strickland Award dinner, held Oct. 21 at the Down Town Club, honored Paul Meyer, the F. Otto Haas director of the Morris Arboretum. Nearly 200 guests attended the benefit, which was chaired by Diane Newbury and Susan Peck. The evening raised $54,500 for Wyck, a National Historic Landmark house and garden in Germantown that was owned by the Wistar-Haines family for nearly 300 years.

The Philadelphia Film Society opened its 19th Philadelphia Film Festival with a screening of Black Swan Oct. 14 at the Annenberg Center and an after-party at City Tap House. The film, which opens in Philadelphia Dec. 10, features 14 dancers from Pennsylvania Ballet in a story of rivalry and intrigue at a New York City ballet company. Among the highlights of the 10-day festival was a 10th- anniversary screening of M. Night Shyamalan's Unbreakable Oct. 21 at the Prince Music Theater, and an Oct. 22 screening at the Prince Music Theater of Night Catches Us, written and directed by Tanya Hamilton of Northern Liberties. The movie opens Dec. 3.

More than 400 guests and 100 dogs attended the Pennsylvania SPCA's fourth annual Good Dog Gala, held Saturday at the Loews Philadelphia Hotel. Cochaired by Beth Ann and John White, the benefit honored Buzz Miller, Kim Wolf, the Philadelphia Animal Welfare Society, and Loews Hotels. The evening featured a silent auction that included a baseball bat signed by Chase Utley that went for $1,000. After dinner, guests joined more than 300 young professionals at the Bad Dog Ball in the hotel's Millennium Ballroom.