Friends of the Israel Defense Forces
Founded in the United States in 1981, Friends of the Israel Defence forces (FIDF) is an American non-profit organisation devoted to providing various forms of support to Israeli soldiers. Its headquarters is based in New York and it is the US branch of the Israel based organisation the Association for the Wellbeing of Israel's Soliders. The organisation provides the following description of its activities on its webpage: [1]
- FIDF initiates and helps support educational, social, cultural and r:ecreational programs and facilities for the young men and women soldiers of Israel who defend the Jewish homeland. FIDF also supports the families of fallen soldiers.
FIDF encourages aliyah for Jews outside of Israel who wish to serve in the IDF. According to an article in Arutz Sheva 7:
- "About 2,800 lone soldiers from around the world - 800 of them from the US - serve in the IDF, and about 900 enlist every year. Most of them are assisted and guided by the Lone Soldiers Program that was jointly initiated by Nefesh B'Nefesh and FIDF, which accompanies lone soldiers' absorption into the IDF and the state of Israel...The soldiers are eligible for financial assistance, personal accompaniment and guidance, and gift packages every three months. Upon their discharge from the IDF, thay are offered guidance on selecting their field of employment and studies, as well as work placement." [2]
During Operation Protective Edge in 2014 the Association for the Wellbeing of Israel's Soldiers received some NIS 2.5m from various supporting organisations including FIDF. [3] During the conflict the FIDF organised a comedy event led by New York comedians Ari Teman, Danny Cohen and Benji Lovitt at an Iron Dome missile battery with the proceeds of the event going to FIDF. [4] The event was part of the comedy troupe's Rocket Shelter Comedy tour, with the catchphrase, "Stuck in a bomb shelter? We'll come to you." [5]
In August 2014 Howard Gases, director of the New Jersey Chapter of Friends of the IDF commented in reference to the lone soldiers programme that:
"Over the years, people realize that they need to support the IDF... For a strong Israel to survive, we need a strong military and a happy military."[6]
In September 2014 reality TV star and music producer Simon Cowell donated $150,000 dollars to the FIDF.[7]
People
National Director and CEO - Maj. Gen (Res.) Yitzhak (Jerry) Gershon
Chief Executive Officer - Mr. Alan E. Scholnick
Chief Financial Officer - Ron Aloni
Director of Operations and Special Events - Michael Sever
National Board Members:
- Nily Falic - Chairman *
- Arthur Stark - Chairman Emeritus *
- Larry J. Hochberg - Chairman Emeritus *
- Marvin Josephson - Chairman Emeritus
- Marc Jason - Vice Presidents *
- Dr. Michael Kalisman - Vice Presidents *
- Morris Silverman - Secretary *
- Stephen Wayne Rubin, Esq - Legal Counsel *
- Ricki Alon
- Harvey Axelrod
- Gary Balter
- Sammy Bar-Or
- Ronny Ben-Josef
- Scott Black
- Alan Brody
- Robert Cohen
- Ruth & Leo David
- Oscar Feldenkreis
- Tony Felzen
- William Fox
- Al Frank
- Pat Frank
- Martin E. Franklin
- Erika Glazer
- Fred Gluckman *
- Harry Gross *
- Daniel J. Hyman
- Jerry Kaplan
- Dr. Shmuel Katz
- Shari Kaufman
- Alon Kaufman
- Jared Kushner
- Richard Kwal
- Avi Lerner
- Israel Levy
- Nathan Lewinger
- Dr. Herbert London
- Nicole Lowenstein
- Gerald Mizel
- Sam Moshe
- Michael Nachman
- Jorde Nathan
- Soraya Nazarian
- Younes Nazarian
- Ann Newman
- Melinda Lowell Paltrow
- Marc Perlman
- Robert Polak
- Peter Reisman
- Israel Roizman
- Tony Rubin
- Haim Saban *
- Monica Sasson
- Steve Schultz
- Robin Selati
- Benny Shabtai
- Fela Shapell
- David Shapell
- Gary Shiffman
- Dr. Robert Shillman
- Joseph Sieber
- Ron Simms
- Norman Smith
- Garry Sobel
- Lloyd Sokoloff
- Rabbi Peter Weintraub
- Zev Weiss
- Michael Werner
- Dr. Phillip Werthman
- David Wiener
- Shahram Yaghoubzadeh
- Ofer Yardeni
- Robert Zarnegin
- Arie Zweig
- National Executive Committee Member[8]
Funding and finances
In 2012 the total assets of the organisation amounted to $126,649,916[9]
Notes
- ↑ 'About FIDF', Friends of the Israel Defence Forces Website, accessed 17 September 2014
- ↑ Gil Ronen and Tova Dvorin, 'New Wave of Olim Inspired by Fallen Lone Soldiers', Arutz Sheva 7, 7 August 2014, accessed 27 September 2014.
- ↑ Sharon Udasin, Lidar Grave-Lazi, Lahav Harkov, Judy Seigel, and Ben Hartman, 'News in Brief', Jerusalem Post, 7 August 2014, accessed 27 September 2014.
- ↑ Jacob Goldtsein, 'Comedians bring laughs to the front lines', Jerusalem Post, 3 August 2014, accessed 27 September 2014.
- ↑ 'Comedians bring laughs to the front lines', Jpost.com, 2 August 2014, accessed 27 August 2014.
- ↑ Erik Larsen, 'Parents in N.J. Pray for Israeli Soldier Son', Gannett News Service, 3 August 2014, accessed 27 September 2014.
- ↑ Andrea Peyser, 'Stars of David Win', The New York Post, 4 August 2014, accessed 27 September 2014.
- ↑ 'Our Board', "Friends of the Israel Defence Forces Website", accessed 17 September 2014
- ↑ Friends of the Israel Defence Forces Financial Statements and Auditor's Report December 31 2012, accessed 17 September 2014
