How to wish IDF soldiers a L'Shana Tova

American IDF Hero Speaks at Dinner

FIDF mourns the passing of Lt. Gen. Amnon Lipkin-Shahak

FIDF mourns the loss of the 15th IDF Chief of the General Staff, Lt. Gen. (Res.) Amnon Lipkin-
Shahak Z”L. Lipkin-Shahak passed away on December 19th after a long-fought battle with cancer. FIDF
sends its condolences to his loved-ones in Israel and abroad.

Lipkin-Shahak began his military career in 1962 as a paratrooper and worked his way up the
ranks. During his service he received two Medals of Honor, one for his conduct in 1968’s Operation
Inferno, in Karameh, Jordan, and the second for his part in 1973’s Operation Spring of Youth, in Beirut,
Lebanon. As Deputy Chief of the General Staff in the early 90’s, he worked on negotiations for a peace
treaty with the Palestinians under Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin Z”L. He became Chief of the General
Staff in 1995, continuing negotiations with the Palestinians as well as with the Syrians when he met with
his Syrian counterpart.

He retired from the IDF in 1998 after 36 years of service. During his tenure in the Israeli Knesset,
which he joined in 1999, Lipkin-Shahak served as Minister of Tourism and Minister of Transport.

“General Lipkin-Shahak was a true leader and a visionary,” said FIDF National Director and CEO,
Maj. Gen. (Res.) Yitzhak (Jerry) Gershon. “He devoted his life to serving the State of Israel and acted with
courage and on principle. Our condolences go out to his family. He will be remembered for many years
to come.”

 

Lt. Gen. (Res.) Lipkin-Shahak during his tenure as Chief of the General Staff: IDF Archive	Former IDF Chiefs of Staff at FIDF’s 2011 National NY Gala Dinner: IDF National Director Maj. Gen. (Res.) Yitzhak (Jerry) Gershon, Lt. Gen. (Res.) Moshe Ya'alon, Lt. Gen. (Res.) Amnon Lipkin-Shahak, Minister of Defense Lt. Gen. (Res.) Ehud Barak, Lt. Gen. (Res.) Shaul Mofaz, Lt. Gen. (Res.) Dan Halutz, and Lt. Gen. Gabi Ashkenazi

To learn more about Lt. Gen.(Res.) Lipkin-Shahak click here

For more information about FIDF click here

Happy Chanukah from Friends of the IDF

As the Jewish people welcome the celebration of Chanukah, the Festival of Lights, please take just one moment to thank the young men and women of the IDF, who shine a light on Israel as they protect it. This celebration is also an opportunity to reflect on how your generous support has brought warmth and light to the soldiers, who stand prepared on the front lines every day. 

Some of these heroes have taken time from their intensive schedules to seek us out and express their appreciation for everything you do. On behalf of the soldiers enjoying your contributions - THANK YOU!

Stevie Wouldn’t But Chaka Khan

The Friends of the Israel Defense Forces (FIDF) annual dinner went ahead last week, and while Stevie Wonder was not there, we got Chaka Khan instead!

Spirits were barely diminished at the Friends of the Israel Defense Forces (FIDF) annual dinner Thursday night, a week after headliner Stevie Wonder’s provocative and public pullout. More than 1,000 Israel supporters turned out at the Hyatt Regency in Century City for the annual gala hosted by Haim and Cheryl Saban.

The four-and-a-half hour evening steered by “Seinfeld” veteran Jason Alexander included moving, personal presentations by IDF soldiers and raised a reported $11.5 million from attendees, many of them Israeli-American business and entertainment leaders, including Avi Arad, head of Marvel Entertainment, film producer Avi Lerner, real estate developer Izek Shomof, actress and producer Noa Tishby and Oracle business magnate Larry Ellison.

Businessman and producer David Matalon offered the best line of the evening when, during the live auction-style fundraiser, he pledged $8,000 to the FIDF and, “in honor of Stevie Wonder, another $2,000.”

“I’ll have him call you to tell you he loves you,” Haim Saban quipped from the stage.

Other than that moment of levity, the silence surrounding Wonder’s cancelation continued, although emcee Alexander seized an opportunity to share some unusually candid remarks about the complexities of the Israeli- Palestinian conflict. In a lengthy and serious address, he talked about his love for both Israelis and Palestinians and how his work with the organization One Voice has exposed him to both sides of the conflict.

“This conflict continues because of the inability of leaders to break through this impasse and find a way to peace,” he said.

Knowing before whom he stood — a predominantly Israeli-American and Jewish crowd – Alexander was careful to balance his pro-Palestinian remarks with strong supportive messages about Israel. The most vigorous applause came when he referred to the Jewish state as the most “maligned, underappreciated and hardest challenged nation on the planet,” and expressed admiration for its soldiers.

“I believe that the men and women soldiers that defend [Israel] are among the most honorable and noble soldiers the world has ever seen,” Alexander said, though he added that sometimes, “they have made mistakes.”

He thanked the crowd for the opportunity to share his thoughts

Throughout the night, Israeli soldiers took to the podium to share their stories, many of them heart-wrenching reminders that even with its military might, the IDF has suffered profound losses. Yoni Asraf, an American who enlisted in the IDF, told the crowd how he had used his body as a shield in order to protect a fellow soldier during combat, a move that cost him an arm. He was subsequently awarded a medal for his bravery, and he refused to relinquish his post, spending years rehabilitating himself in order to rejoin his unit.

Later, an Egyptian-born mother who imigrated to Israel and lost two of her sons in combat for the IDF, delivered an astoundingly resilient message. “I am not broken,” she said. “You cannot break a spirit.”

After her emotional speech, host Cheryl Saban embraced her, while her husband looked on with misty eyes.

“As a mother myself, your story has touched me. Everyone in this room is inspired by you,” Cheryl said.

Haim Saban used his pulpit time to talk about the values of the IDF, portraying an army of ideals, of “courage, compassion, strength and sacrifice.”

Inspiration rapidly gave way to income, as Saban himself solicited donations to the FIDF from the stage. “The time is always ripe to do right,” he said, quoting Martin Luther King Jr.

Once millions of dollars in pledges had been collected from the crowd, Grammy-winning musician and producer David Foster orchestrated some light entertainment, with performances by “American Idol” winner Ruben Studdard and a gold-glitter encrusted Chaka Khan, the Grammy winning “Queen of Funk-Soul,” who sang the hit “I’m Every Woman.”

Foster, who has coordinated the musical entertainment for the FIDF dinner for years, said in an interview that although he has never been to Israel, he has learned a thing or two about Jewish culture from all the dinners.

“I’m not Jewish,” Foster told the crowd. “But I have been circumcised, and I do know Barbra Streisand.”

Meanwhile, here are some photos from the event, which reveal Dolph Lundgren was also there, as well as Jason Alexander’s pet hamster (all photos by Alexi Rosenfeld, AJR Photography).

Update: Here’s video from the event.

FIDF event raises $11.5 million without Stevie Wonder

Spirits were barely diminished at the Friends of the Israel Defense Forces (FIDF) annual dinner Thursday night, a week after headliner Stevie Wonder’s provocative and public pullout. More than 1,000 Israel supporters turned out at the Hyatt Regency in Century City for the annual gala hosted by Haim and Cheryl Saban.

The four-and-a-half hour evening steered by “Seinfeld” veteran Jason Alexander included moving, personal presentations by IDF soldiers and raised a reported $11.5 million from attendees, many of them Israeli-American business and entertainment leaders, including Avi Arad, head of Marvel Entertainment, film producer Avi Lerner, real estate developer Izek Shomof, actress and producer Noa Tishby and Oracle business magnate Larry Ellison.

Businessman and producer David Matalon offered the best line of the evening when, during the live auction-style fundraiser, he pledged $8,000 to the FIDF and, “in honor of Stevie Wonder, another $2,000.”

“I’ll have him call you to tell you he loves you,” Haim Saban quipped from the stage.

Other than that moment of levity, the silence surrounding Wonder’s cancelation continued, although emcee Alexander seized an opportunity to share some unusually candid remarks about the complexities of the Israeli- Palestinian conflict. In a lengthy and serious address, he talked about his love for both Israelis and Palestinians and how his work with the organization One Voice has exposed him to both sides of the conflict.

“This conflict continues because of the inability of leaders to break through this impasse and find a way to peace,” he said.

Knowing before whom he stood -- a predominantly Israeli-American and Jewish crowd – Alexander was careful to balance his pro-Palestinian remarks with strong supportive messages about Israel. The most vigorous applause came when he referred to the Jewish state as the most “maligned, underappreciated and hardest challenged nation on the planet,” and expressed admiration for its soldiers.

“I believe that the men and women soldiers that defend [Israel] are among the most honorable and noble soldiers the world has ever seen,” Alexander said, though he added that sometimes, “they have made mistakes.”

He thanked the crowd for the opportunity to share his thoughts.

Throughout the night, Israeli soldiers took to the podium to share their stories, many of them heart-wrenching reminders that even with its military might, the IDF has suffered profound losses. Yoni Asraf, an American who enlisted in the IDF, told the crowd how he had used his body as a shield in order to protect a fellow soldier during combat, a move that cost him an arm. He was subsequently awarded a medal for his bravery, and he refused to relinquish his post, spending years rehabilitating himself in order to rejoin his unit.

Later, an Egyptian-born mother who imigrated to Israel and lost two of her sons in combat for the IDF, delivered an astoundingly resilient message. “I am not broken,” she said. “You cannot break a spirit.”

After her emotional speech, host Cheryl Saban embraced her, while her husband looked on with misty eyes.

“As a mother myself, your story has touched me. Everyone in this room is inspired by you,” Cheryl said. 

Haim Saban used his pulpit time to talk about the values of the IDF, portraying an army of ideals, of “courage, compassion, strength and sacrifice.”

Inspiration rapidly gave way to income, as Saban himself solicited donations to the FIDF from the stage. “The time is always ripe to do right,” he said, quoting Martin Luther King Jr.

Once millions of dollars in pledges had been collected from the crowd, Grammy-winning musician and producer David Foster orchestrated some light entertainment, with performances by “American Idol” winner Ruben Studdard and a gold-glitter encrusted Chaka Khan, the Grammy winning “Queen of Funk-Soul,” who sang the hit “I’m Every Woman.”