Nearly 250 community leaders gathered Sunday, Oct. 24, at the Hyatt Regency Greenwich for the 2021 Friends of the Israel De-fense Forces (FIDF) WestchesÂter and Connecticut Chapter annual gala, themed “ONE,” to honor the soldiers of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF).
The program featured Lt. Col. Y, Israeli Air Force veteran and his son Corp. J. from the Iron Dome Unit, a vetÂeran of Operation Guardian of the Walls. Among the other guests was Sgt. Ayala, a young soldier who grew up as an at- risk youth in a troubled envi-ronment and eventually got the opportunity to attend the IDF Michve Alon Educational program ”“ a program she says, turned her life around.
Other distinguished guests in-cludÂed FIDF CEO Steven Weil; FIDF National Director Major General (Res.) Nadav Padan; and FIDF National Chair-man PeÂter Weintraub.
FIDF was established in 1981 by a group of Holocaust survivors as a 501(C) (3) not-for-profit organization with the mission of offering educational, cultural, recreational and social programs and facilities that provide hope, purpose and life-changing support for the soldiers who protect Israel and Jews worldwide. Today, FIDF has 24 chapters throughout the United States. It supports IDF soldiers, families of fallen soldiers and wounded veterans through a variety of innovative programs that reinforce the vital bond between the communities in the United States and the soldiers of the IDF. For more information, visit: fidf.org.
