| John Mitty Thursday, May 23, 2013 |
Cedarhurst, NY, May 23, 2013 – The Long Island Chapter of the Friends of the Israel Defense Forces (FIDF) held its Annual Gala on May 22nd at the Sephardic Temple in Cedarhurst, New York, where 400 prominent lay leaders and supporters from across the Five Towns and Greater South Shore attended and showed their support for Israel’s soldiers. $300,000 was raised from the event, which will go toward FIDF wellbeing and educational programs for the brave men and women of the IDF.
The event hosted a tribute to over 50 local Lone Soldiers (with no immediate family in Israel) who have served, or are currently serving, in the IDF, as well as to a group of veterans who volunteered to fight in Israel’s War of Independence in 1948, and became some of the first Lone Soldiers in the IDF. The event also featured Ben Brafman, Esq. as Master of Ceremonies.
“We are so grateful for the community’s warm embrace of FIDF and the incredible outpour of support. The success of our 2nd Annual Event is testament to the community’s generosity and devotion to the wellbeing of Israel’s soldiers, not to mention the many past and current Lone Soldiers who are from the area,” said Rebecca Feld, FIDF Director of Long Island. “I look forward to many more celebrations with the South Shore community and strengthening the bond between Long Island and the soldiers of the IDF!”
The event was celebrated by the participation of IDF soldiers who came to Long Island from Israel and shared their stories with FIDF supporters. The soldiers included IDF veteran Sgt. Izzy Ezagui, who was wounded in 2008 while serving in the Haruv Unit during the “Cast Lead” Operation in Gaza; Sgt. Daniel Orvomaa, a Givati Brigade combat soldier who participated in Operation “Pillar of Defense”; and 2nd Lt.Yael Orbach, an operational officer in the Givati Brigade.
“This gathering serves as strong motivation and reminder of the important work by FIDF to support the brave men and women who protect Israel,” added Brafman, who serves as FIDF Committee Member and Master of Ceremonies.
The proceeds from this event will go to the Givati Brigade, an IDF Brigade that the FIDF Long Island Chapter has adopted through the FIDF Adopt-A-Brigade program, which provides funds for various wellbeing and recreational events that will boost the morale of these soldiers. For more information about the FIDF Adopt-A-Brigade, visit: http://www.fidf.org/page.aspx?pid=279
Photo credit to: The Visual Image
# # #
About Friends of the Israel Defense Forces (FIDF):
FIDF was established in 1981 by a group of holocaust survivors as a 501(C)(3) not-for-profit organization with the mission of providing and supporting educational, social, cultural, and recreational programs and facilities for the heroic men and women of the IDF. Today, FIDF has more than 120,000 loyal supporters, and 17 regional offices throughout the U.S. and Panama. FIDF proudly offers its support to the IDF soldiers and their families through a variety of unique and innovative programs. These opportunities reinforce the vital bond between the communities in the United States, the soldiers of the IDF, and the State of Israel
 |
|
||||
The LIYellowPages.com - Your Local Yellow Page Resource - (631) 306-2000 - Email Us | About Us
Categories | Cities | Career Opportunities | Link To Us | Terms of Service | Privacy | Search | Site Map | Advertise
All rights reserved. Copyright © 2016 by Long Island Yellow Pages™ | Publication by Long Island Media, Inc.
