By:  Lieba Nesis

The Friends of Israel Defense Forces (FIDF) held its annual gala on Tuesday October 17th 2023 at Pier Sixty with cocktails beginning at 5:30 PM.  With over 1,000 attendees, registration closed 5 days prior, and security measures containing the NYPD, FIDF private security, Israeli security, and dozens of cops and undercover officers this was far from your typical year.  What was supposed to be a joyous night celebrating the 75th year of the state of Israel-its diamond anniversary-turned into a night of solidarity and a vigil of sorts with none of the usual soldiers, who were currently on duty, in attendance for the first time in 42 years.  The thought of canceling the night was contemplated while ultimately deciding that a unified New York showing solidarity with Israel was both cathartic and necessary as funding those on the front lines was an opportunity too pivotal to forgo.

FIDF is a non-political, non-military organization that was established by a group of Holocaust survivors in 1981 to prevent the type of massacre that occurred in Israel on October 7th.  Ranked with the highest ratings for accountability and transparency the organization is solely dedicated to providing for the wellbeing of the soldiers, their family members and veterans.  Event chairs Alison and Marty Burger, Rita and Fred Distenfeld, Trudy and Stanley Stern, Melanie and Art Wrubel and Tanya Zuckerbrot and Anthony Westreich helped ensure every dollar raised addresses the most urgent needs of the soldiers.

It’s inconceivable that Hamas, considered one of the less radical Muslim groups in Israel as compared to Islamic Jihad and the Islamic state, successfully ordered its militants to kill as many people as possible resulting in the deaths of 1,300 innocents and 200 hostages less than two weeks ago.  Struggling to grapple with this reality the attendees joined in singing Hatikva with pop star Noa Kirel accompanied by award winning violinist Bar Markovich.

The night was almost too much to bear as a video depicting the Supernova Music Festival transitioned into militants paragliding into the field to perpetrate a mass slaughter: Making the comments of pop star Alicia Keys who posted she “has her eyes on paragliding” while donning the green color of Hamas all the more sickening despite her protestations of innocence.  While one might be hopeful that non-Jewish celebrities might join the evening to share in the grief of the Jewish community the sole luminaries were the cast of Fauda including Itzik Cohen who emceed, Yaakov Zada Daniel and Meirav Shirom.  The true colors of Hollywood are being revealed as Susan Sarandon, John Cusack and anti-Semite Mark Ruffalo have shown unwavering solidarity with Palestinians under the guise of portraying Israel as a colonialist, apartheid regime.

The dinner was uplifting while simultaneously lugubrious as we heard from Former IDF Chief of General Staff Aviv Kohavi by video who said the Israelis would win the war but the duration would be protracted as there were Hamas in nearly every house in Gaza City that had to be neutralized.  Israel, he stated, “would no longer accept a murderous enemy on its border.”  And while acknowledging the IDF had the capability to carry out the retaliation it needed the backing of the world, said Kohavi, in order to carry out its duties with the moral values of the Torah.

Israeli actor, filmmaker and producer Itzik Cohen who brilliantly portrays Captain Gabi Ayub in Fauda was still reeling from the shocking atrocities as he began crying when describing Israel as being in a “state of triage.” With over 360,000 reservists ready for duty, achieving Phase 1 requires minimally $60 million, said Cohen.  The difference between the Jews of the 1940’s and now all comes down to the IDF and Israel, said Itzik, who noted Hamas’s desire to push Israel to the sea and annihilate the Jews.  “Hamas glorifies death while Israel celebrates life, Hamas is fueled by hatred, while Israel is motivated by love, Hamas uses its own people as shields, while Israel sanctifies every individual”, said Itzik.  A demonstrative video featured images of families that were executed and infants and women who were taken captive.

The most heart-wrenching portion of the evening was the introduction of heroic dual US-Israeli citizens Orna and Ronen Neutra whose 21-year-old son Omer Neutra was taken hostage while serving as a tank commander on the Gaza border.  After graduating high school Omer took a gap year in Israel to connect with his family roots and decided to join the Israeli military instead of attending college.  His parents described Omer as an honors student at Schechter Yeshiva in Williston Park who was captain of his basketball and volleyball team growing up in Plainview Long Island as an avid Knicks fan.  He was kidnapped along with two other soldiers while guarding the Gaza border.  The devastated look on his parents faces said it all as they thanked President Biden for meeting with them and said they were both heartbroken and worried.  The last time they spoke to Omer was Friday night October 6th when he told his parents he was looking forward to a quiet weekend after a hectic month guarding the border.

There was barely a dry eye in the house as  “Bring Omer home”  has become a rallying cry at his Syosset synagogue.  On a more upbeat note a video depicting reservist Rudy Rochman was played where he spoke about the lives that were lost not being in vain as the army was now going house to house rescuing children, the elderly, and families who were still at risk four days after Hamas infiltrated.

Another Jewish hero, Eyal, on the front lines of Israel, said he was from Teaneck New Jersey and thanked the United States for their incredible support remarking that his twin sister worked for army intelligence to huge applause.  Before the fundraising portion, Chair Tanya Zuckerbrot introduced Israeli activist and actress Noa Tishby.  In a remarkably impassioned speech Tishby said Hamas would be a footnote in history as another group that unsuccessfully tried to destroy Israel.  She also called out the Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions (BDS) movement as a criminal enterprise that incites murder under the guise of anti-Zionism-a euphemism for Jew hating.

Guests headed home both emboldened and dejected by an evening filled with agony and hope and one that the IDF should never have to relive

FIDF has transferred tens of millions to the IDF since the war broke out. The needs far exceed what we are able to raise