More than 300 Long Islanders, including Saddle Rock Mayor Dr. Dan Levy, gathered at Saddle Rock Park on Sunday, Sept. 10, for a Friends of the Israel Defense Forces (FIDF) Family Fun Day. Led by FIDF’s Long Island teen leadership, the event raised approximately $3,000 towards well-being and educational programs for the soldiers of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF). Plus, FIDF’s Long Island chapter will match the funds raised.
Before his medical career, Levy served as a lieutenant and a commander in the IDF. During Israel’s 1973 Yom Kippur War, he fought on the Sinai front.
Sunday’s event included food, sports and prizes, and provided a day of family fun for Long Island FIDF supporters and their families.
Organized by FIDF Long Island teen leaders Avery Arasheben, Natalie Ben-Josef, Samantha Damaghi, Ellie Kraus, Michael Maslavi, Tyler Moradof, Daniella Ohebshalom, Lior Sanilevich, Gabe Shaoolian and Aaron Sheena, Family Fun Day set the stage for the FIDF Long Island 12th annual IDF Appreciation Evening at Fresh Meadow Country Club, which was held later in the week.
FIDF was established in 1981 by a group of Holocaust survivors as a nonprofit 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 more than 150,000 supporters and 20 chapters throughout the United States and Panama. The organization supports IDF soldiers, families of fallen soldiers and wounded veterans through a variety of innovative programs that reinforce the bond between communities in the United States, the soldiers of the IDF and the State of Israel. For more information, visit www.fidf.org.
