Over $20 Million Raised At Saban-Chaired FIDF Gala

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More than 1,000 attended the FIDF Western Region Gala, which featured musician Lionel Richie, David Foster and Friends, and a $150,000 donation from TV star Simon Cowell.

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 (L-R) Rabbi Yechiel and Joelle Eckstein, Haim and Cheryl Saban, Dr. Rebecka and Dr. Arie Belldegrun / Michelle Mivzari

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Over $20 million was raised at the annual Friends of the Israel Defense Forces (FIDF) Western Region Gala yesterday, Tuesday, October 22, 2013. More than 1,000 FIDF supporters and dignitaries from the United States and Israel gathered to express their support for the Israel Defense Forces (IDF). FIDF National Board Member and major supporter, Haim Saban, and his wife, Cheryl, served as chairs of the star-studded FIDF Gala that took place at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills, CA.

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   Simon Cowell and Haim Saban  /Michelle Mivzari

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Notable donations made at the event included $4.5 million from Rabbi Yechiel Eckstein, Founder and President of the International Fellowship of Christians and Jews, $3.5 million from Vicki and Ron Simms of Simms Commercial Development, $2.3 million from Cheryl and Haim Saban, $2 million from Younes Nazarian, Co-Founder of Qualcomm, and his wife Soraya, and $1 million from Larry Ellison, CEO of Oracle. Simon Cowell of American Idol and X-Factor also attended the event and announced a donation of $150,000 to benefit the IDF soldiers. The funds raised at the Gala will go towards wellbeing and educational programs for IDF soldiers.

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Cheryl Saban with Ben Silverman and Jennifer Cuoco / Orly Halevy

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The evening began with a cocktail reception, followed by dinner and a program, emceed by FIDF National and Western Region President, Julian Josephson, and featured remarkable performances by David Foster and Friends. Attendees were enthralled by the surprise performance of five-time Grammy Award winner, Lionel Richie. Among the many participants at the Gala were Avi Arad, CEO of Marvel Studios and Founder of Arad Productions Inc., and his wife Joyce, Avi Lerner, Co-Chairman of NuImage, brothers Maurice and Paul Marciano of Guess Jeans, Ben Silverman, Founder and CEO of Electus, and his wife Jennifer Cuoco, Casey Wasserman of Wasserman Media Group, and Eli Tene, Co-Founder, Co-Managing Director and Principal of Peak Corporate Network and a Co-Founder and former Co-Chairman of the Israeli American Council, and his wife Dafna.

The FIDF national and local leadership present at the event included Nily Falic, FIDF National Chairman, Julian Josephson, FIDF National and Western Region President, Maj. Gen. (Res.) Yitzhak (Jerry) Gershon, FIDF National Director and CEO, Leo David, FIDF Western Region Founder and Chairman, and his wife Ruth.

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Leo David, FIDF Western Region Founder and Chairman, and Sheriff Lee Baca / Orly Halevy

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A very touching moment at the event occurred when Lone Soldiers, brothers Tamir Lerner, a combat soldier in the elite IDF unit Golani, and Adee Lerner, an IDF paratrooper, surprised their parents, Ettie and Shmulik Lerner, on stage. This emotional family reunion, which brought the crowd to tears, was made possible by the FIDF Lone Soldiers Program, which brought the brothers from Israel to Los Angeles so they could surprise their parents. The FIDF Lone Soldiers Program supports soldiers who have decided to leave their countries of origin and serve in the IDF. The program provides financial and social support, retreats, scholarships, and flights to visit their families abroad.

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 Vicki Simms with Nily Falic, FIDF National Chairman /Michelle Mivzari

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“The Jewish and Israeli community in LA showed its support and love yesterday for the soldiers of Israel,” said Saban. “The event connects this warm community with IDF soldiers, and it is our opportunity to say thank you to the soldiers who defend the State of Israel.”

About Friends of the Israel Defense Forces (FIDF):

FIDF was established in 1981 by a group of Holocaust survivors as a not-for-profit organization with the mission of providing and supporting educational, social, cultural, and recreational programs and facilities for the heroic men and women of the IDF. Today, FIDF has more than 120,000 loyal supporters, and 15 regional offices throughout the U.S. and Panama.

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$46 Million Raised at UJA-Federation of New York’s 2014 Campaign Kickoff Event

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(L-R) UJA-Federation of New York:  Jeff Stern, Campaign Chair; Rt. Hon. Tony Blair; Linda Mirels, Chair of the Board ; Alisa Doctoroff, President ; and John S. Ruskay, Executive Vice President and CEO of UJA-Federation of New York / Michael Priest

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UJA-Federation of New York raised a record-breaking $46 million, an increase of $1 million from last year, at its 2014 Annual Campaign kickoff event held at the home of Merryl and James Tisch on October 24, 2013. A record turnout of 150 philanthropic leaders from the New York Jewish community gathered to pledge their support of UJA-Federation’s work to address economic, educational, and community needs, and respond to local and global crises.

“No other organization is better prepared to meet the needs in our community, every day and in the time of crisis, than UJA-Federation,” said Alisa Doctoroff, president of UJA-Federation of New York. “This is what makes UJA-Federation so unique, and this is why the leaders of the philanthropic community trust and choose UJA-Federation to determine how best to allocate funds to make the biggest impact.”

“Our campaign has launched successfully because of unmatched acts of charitable kindness,” said Linda Mirels, chair of UJA-Federation’s board. “This generosity will be felt throughout the community, when UJA-Federation provides critical support for its unparalleled network of camps, community centers, Hillels, human-service agencies, and overseas agencies.”

“Through our collective efforts, UJA-Federation can respond to both crises and opportunity,” said John Ruskay, executive vice president and CEO of UJA-Federation. “Last year at this time, Hurricane Sandy hit. Even as we were responding boldly to emergency needs, we were sending kids in Moscow to Jewish summer camps, bringing Ethiopians home to Israel, and making sure that Holocaust survivors didn’t go without care. That is the power of UJA-Federation and what we make possible.”

Launched nearly 30 years ago, the annual campaign kickoff event has brought together leading philanthropists who care deeply about strengthening the Jewish community and has raised more than $800 million.

Rt. Hon. Tony Blair, former prime minister of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, was the guest speaker, discussing the work of his foundation and his commitment to working toward peace in the Middle East.

About UJA-Federation of New York

For more than 95 years, UJA-Federation has been a central force for communal planning and philanthropy in the New York Jewish community. Through UJA-Federation, almost 60,000 donors pool, nearly 100 network beneficiary agencies, synagogues, and other Jewish organizations, in more than 70 other countries around the world, touching 4.5 million people each year.

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$ 46 Million Raised at UJA-Federation of New York's 2014 Campaign Kickoff Event

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(L-R) UJA-Federation of New York:  Jeff Stern, Campaign Chair; Rt. Hon. Tony Blair; Linda Mirels, Chair of the Board ; Alisa Doctoroff, President ; and John S. Ruskay, Executive Vice President and CEO of UJA-Federation of New York / Michael Priest

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UJA-Federation of New York raised a record-breaking $46 million, an increase of $1 million from last year, at its 2014 Annual Campaign kickoff event held at the home of Merryl and James Tisch on October 24, 2013. A record turnout of 150 philanthropic leaders from the New York Jewish community gathered to pledge their support of UJA-Federation’s work to address economic, educational, and community needs, and respond to local and global crises.

“No other organization is better prepared to meet the needs in our community, every day and in the time of crisis, than UJA-Federation,” said Alisa Doctoroff, president of UJA-Federation of New York. “This is what makes UJA-Federation so unique, and this is why the leaders of the philanthropic community trust and choose UJA-Federation to determine how best to allocate funds to make the biggest impact.”

“Our campaign has launched successfully because of unmatched acts of charitable kindness,” said Linda Mirels, chair of UJA-Federation’s board. “This generosity will be felt throughout the community, when UJA-Federation provides critical support for its unparalleled network of camps, community centers, Hillels, human-service agencies, and overseas agencies.”

“Through our collective efforts, UJA-Federation can respond to both crises and opportunity,” said John Ruskay, executive vice president and CEO of UJA-Federation. “Last year at this time, Hurricane Sandy hit. Even as we were responding boldly to emergency needs, we were sending kids in Moscow to Jewish summer camps, bringing Ethiopians home to Israel, and making sure that Holocaust survivors didn’t go without care. That is the power of UJA-Federation and what we make possible.”

Launched nearly 30 years ago, the annual campaign kickoff event has brought together leading philanthropists who care deeply about strengthening the Jewish community and has raised more than $800 million.

Rt. Hon. Tony Blair, former prime minister of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, was the guest speaker, discussing the work of his foundation and his commitment to working toward peace in the Middle East.

About UJA-Federation of New York

For more than 95 years, UJA-Federation has been a central force for communal planning and philanthropy in the New York Jewish community. Through UJA-Federation, almost 60,000 donors pool, nearly 100 network beneficiary agencies, synagogues, and other Jewish organizations, in more than 70 other countries around the world, touching 4.5 million people each year.

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