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Southfield, MI (October 30, 2023) – Last Tuesday, over 1,000 Friends of the IDF (FIDF) supporters joined star of Netflix’s Fauda, Yaakov Zada Daniel, at Congregation Shaarey Zedek in a strong show of solidarity with the hundreds of thousands of Israel Defense Forces (IDF) soldiers on the frontlines who are risking their lives to restore security in Israel after the horrendous massacre that occurred on October 7, and the ongoing attacks perpetrated by Hamas.
The event had been scheduled as the FIDF Michigan 2023 Annual Dinner in celebration of Israel’s 75 years of independence. However, in the wake of the attacks, it was transformed into a solidarity gathering where the Jewish community could show support for Israel’s soldiers during their greatest time of need. One hundred percent of proceeds from the event, and donations to FIDF since the start of the war, are going towards the emergency humanitarian needs of IDF soldiers. So far, more than $30 million has been transferred to the IDF to meet their most urgent requests for its soldiers.
The event chairs were Joan Chernoff Epstein and Bob Epstein, Shari Ferber Kaufman & Alon Kaufman and Lisa & Gary Shiffman. VIP attendees included State Senator Jeremy Moss; State Representative Samantha Steckloff; Oakland Country Sheriff Michael Bouchard; and West Bloomfield Treasurer Teri Weingarden.
Additional VIP attendees included FIDF Chief Executive Officer Steve Weil; FIDF Central Region Vice President, Tamir Oppenheim; and FIDF Michigan Chapter Director, Paula Lebowitz.
The event included words of solidarity and hope from Fauda’s Yaakov Zada Daniel (who plays Eli), who was the recipient of an FIDF IMPACT! Scholarship after his IDF service which covered the cost of his university education. Hazzan Daniel Gross and Michal Korman, mother of a Lone Soldier currently serving on the frontlines, offered a special prayer for Israel's soldiers.
FIDF is the single organization in the United States, designated by the IDF, that is authorized to raise funds for its soldiers, and FIDF acts according to the requirements of the IDF's Manpower Directorate to respond to the most urgent requests. Funds raised at the event will go towards lifesaving medical supplies such as ambulances, plasma, medical devices, field hospitals, as well as hygiene kits and aid for the thousands of bereaved families who are suffering the loss of a loved one. As the IDF’s official partner, FIDF is the fastest and most direct way to support IDF soldiers.
“The brutal, barbaric acts of hatred committed against Israeli civilians are unthinkable, and IDF soldiers are facing an unprecedented and harrowing conflict, making our support for them more vital than ever before,” said FIDF CEO Steve Weil. “At the frontline of defense are Israel’s soldiers, bearing witness to heinous crimes and facing unimaginable challenges. They need to know that we, as a global community, are firmly there for them.”
See photos from the event below. Photo credit: Ron Lieberman, Lieberman Photography, Courtesy of FIDF.
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