Yitzchak Rabin

Taken in early 1992 at the Plaza Hotel in NYC at the end of a UJA luncheon. My grandfather, in between Prime Minister Rabin and me, put his arm around Rabin, and I thought the Israeli Secret Service was going to have a fit (or worse). Hence, the worried expression on my face.

At my grandfather's table was a man who was quizzing me about where my ex-wife and I were going on our honeymoon. When I told him "France", he gave me his card and told me to go to Mumm for the champagne tour. He wrote a message on the back of his card to give us "the royal Mumm treatment", and he told me to give it to the person at the desk. When we finally got to Mumm for the tour, I handed the card to the person at the desk, and they asked me how long I'd known Mr. Bronfman. 

Eleanor Roosevelt

Mayor Kasim Reed

Congressman John Lewis

Henry Kissinger

Jimmy & Rosalynn Carter

Signed by Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter at the Captain Planet Foundation Gala, Atlanta, GA, 2012.

I'd had this form letter from President Carter's Director of Correspondence since I wrote to the White House for an autograph in Elementary school. Not sure why I kept it all those years, but it remains in perfect condition. I attended the 2012 Captain Planet Foundation Gala, where President Carter was being honored along with Ted Turner and Sir Richard Branson (both can be found on this site). We were at the next table over from the honorees. I easily walked over and asked the former First Lady to sign and she happily obliged. It took a while for President Carter to get back to his seat. Once he returned, I made my way over, only to be stopped right next to him by the US Secret Service (or some other type of security detail, I can't be sure). In any case, I'm told "The President is eating". I look down, and there is neither food nor even a plate. I look at the Secret Service Agent, and I say "look, I've had this thing since elementary school. Can I please???" He looked at me, and then the letter and said "make it quick".