Westchester / Connecticut Chapter Updates!
It has been an exciting time at FIDF and we are pleased to update you on our recent events and fundraising progress.
The vital partnership between the FIDF Westchester/Connecticut Chapter and the men and women of the IDF is important, now more than ever. With your support, we are proud to have hosted these events as a strong declaration of FIDF programming to support Israel's soldiers.
Many of you joined us for the National NY Gala Dinner on Tuesday, March 13 at the Waldorf=Astoria. This was an inspiring and moving event which featured video feeds from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Benny Gantz, and recently released IDF soldier Gilad Shalit, all of whom thanked the guests for their support. In all, we raised over $26 million which includes $618,000 from the Westchester/Connecticut Chapter.
Lt. Gen. Benny Gantz, IDF Chief of the General Staff, speaking via
live satellite from a military base in Southern Israel.
Westchester Reform Temple (WRT) hosted FIDF for a Heart-to-Heart Community Event on Wednesday, March 14 in Scarsdale, NY. Twenty IDF soldiers shared a pizza dinner with students and families before gathering with 300 friends for a program featuring the soldiers. We closed the evening with an appeal to raise funds for flights home for lone soldiers. Following the program, families from WRT in Scarsdale and the surrounding community hosted the soldiers overnight. It was a wonderful experience for everyone involved and one which we hope to do again next year! The event was a spectacular way to connect to new families and generated a great amount of interest in our work.
On Thursday, March 15, Jeri and Andy Casden hosted a parlor meeting bringing together over 50 people at their home in Scarsdale. Guests had an opportunity to meet with active duty soldiers, and warm tributes were offered to the Casdens and Ellen and Peter Weintraub from their IMPACT! students. The evening raised over $137,000, which will provide a tremendous amount of support for our soldiers, including 7 new IMPACT! scholarships.
Members of the IDF Musical Ensemble at the concert in celebration
of Yom Ha'atzmaut.
On Tuesday, March 20, we held a private screening of the film Follow Me: The Yoni Netanyahu Story, at the home of gracious supporters in Armonk. This family first became involved with FIDF through the Tzahal Shalom program in Northern Westchester and have become incredible advocates of our work. This intimate event helped introduce us to a new group of patrons in the community!
The FIDF Westchester/Connecticut chapter, with the leadership of the Gurevich, Goudis, and Kiselman families, amongst others, presented an event in celebration of Yom Ha'atzmaut on Thursday, April 26 at Millennium Theatre in Brooklyn. The remarkable celebration brought together nearly 600 members of the Russian, Jewish and Israeli communities in Brooklyn and greater New York City and featured the exquisite IDF Musical Ensemble. In addition to the Ensemble, who performed a series of popular and traditional Israeli songs, the audience heard the powerful story of an FIDF IMPACT! student who immigrated to Israel from Russia at the age of 16 to serve in the IDF. In celebration of Israel's independence, the audience heard remarks from Israeli and Russian dignitaries. The event culminated with a salute to war veterans in attendance and raised more than $21,000 for Israel's soldiers.
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