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Original Article in The JNS:

They got the billing right. The headliner of a charitable evening in Midtown Manhattan on Oct. 17 featured 30-plus Israel Defense Forces’ soldiers and officers—donned in uniforms and berets representing various military branches and units—on hand for “A Night of Heroes: A Spectacular Celebration of Israel and the IDF at 70.”

The event, sponsored by the Friends of the Israel Defense Forces (FIDF) National New York Gala Dinner and held at the New York Hilton Midtown for a crowd of 1,200, raised more than $32 million to support the well-being of and educational programs for Israel Defense Forces soldiers.

Capt. Amir Guttman, the naval attaché, came to New York from Washington, where he represents the IDF to the Pentagon and the Coast Guard. He was not permitted to disclose details of his job or his exact place of residence. Cpl. Idan Bakshi of the IDF musical ensemble was pleased to represent Israel and the IDF, and was enjoying his first trip to New York. “It is nice to know that people chutz l’aretz [‘outside of Israel’] value what we do,” he said.


An overview of the FIDF National New York Gala Dinner at the New York Hilton Midtown on Oct. 17, 2018. Credit: Shahar Azran.

Sgt. Eden Hadassi from Emek Yizrael serves in the Maglan unit as an instructor of special equipment. She movingly told JNS of her great appreciation for the Friends of the IDF. Thanks to them, she attended Camp Ramah in Ojai, Calif., when she was 12 years old, as part of the Legacy/Moreshet program.

“My oldest brother was killed in the Second Lebanon War when I was 10, and I was invited to go to camp with others in the same situation as me,” she related.

Hadassi recently returned from serving as a counselor on a trip to San Francisco for children who lost a sibling while serving in the IDF. “I wanted to be there 24/7 for those kids. I can understand them.” She noted that “FIDF does so much for us—for wounded soldiers, lone soldiers and more. FIDF donated a synagogue building and classrooms, and an excellent gym on my base. And there is a special memorial room with a picture of my brother and information about him.”

Honored guests included a staff sergeant and paramedic who had been involved with treating wounded Syrian civilians along the border with Israel as part of the IDF’s “Operation Good Neighbor.” Maj. Or Ben-Yehuda, who served in the Caracal Battalion—one of the only co-ed military units in the world—and her mother, Professor Dina Ben-Yehuda, shared their story of heroism passing on from generation to generation. Attendees viewed moving videos of Dr. Ben-Yehuda, who served in the IDF during the 1973 Yom Kippur War, and Or, who in 2014 single-handedly fought off a group of terrorists and was awarded for her courageous actions.

Or, who lives in Kiryat Ono, spoke with JNS about how she has personally experienced FIDF’s impact. “I visited a lone soldier in my company in his apartment. It was cold; there was no closets, no kitchen stuff. I called the FIDF and when I came again, it was all there!”

She further reports, “When I was wounded at the Egyptian borer and lingered in the hospital, FIDF gave me a box with all the things a soldier could need: shampoo, food, etc. I was most proud of a letter inside from a couple who didn’t even know me. They said, ‘We appreciate what you do!”

Distinguished guests included Israel’s Ambassador to the United Nations Ambassador Danny Danon; Consul General of Israel in New York Dani Dayan; Israel Defense and Armed Forces Attaché to the United States Maj. Gen. Michael Edelstein; FIDF acting chairman Peter Weintraub; FIDF chairman emeritus Arthur Stark; FIDF acting president Robert Cohen; FIDF national director and CEO Maj.-Gen. (Res.) Meir Klifi-Amir and his wife, Brig.-Gen. (Res.) Gila Klifi-Amir; radio personality and voice over artist Valerie Smaldone, who presided as master of ceremonies; and FIDF tri-state executive director Galit Brichta.

On a lighter note, Israeli singer and actress Shiri Maimon, who recently starred as Roxie in “Chicago” on Broadway, performed several Hebrew and English songs.

‘Strong IDF, strong bond between Israel and America’

Highlighting the unique cooperation between the United States and Israel, Brig.-Gen. Tal Kelman, head of the Strategic Division of the IDF Planning Directorate and former Chief of Staff in the Israeli Air Force (IAF), discussed working together with U.S. Air Force soldiers during the Juniper Cobra joint military exercise earlier this year. He was joined on stage by Cpt. Or, the first female soldier to command a Patriot Battery, who recently employed an advanced air-defense system to shoot down the Syrian airplane and drone that invaded Israeli airspace this past July.

“Since its birth 70 years ago, Israel has continuously fought for its right to live as a free country in the Middle East. A true ‘Start-up Nation,’ Israel not only survives but thrives, with accomplishments and innovations that greatly contribute not only to her own citizens, but also to the rest of the world,” said Klifi-Amir. “The success of the State of Israel is rooted in many factors—most importantly, resting on two pillars: a strong IDF—one of the best militaries in the world, with the highest moral and ethics—and the strong bond between Israel and the great United States of America.

“Standing together is the most powerful way to continue to thrive, flourish and face the challenges yet to come,” she continued. “We were honored to have so many highly distinguished guests join us at this momentous annual gala, as we celebrated 70 years of Israel and saluted the heroes of the IDF.”

IDF Chief of the General Staff Lt. Gen. Gadi Eizenkot was scheduled to speak at the event, but had to return to Israel due to recent security developments. “He was on his way from Washington to New York at 9:30 p.m. when he was called back by the Prime Minister’s Office,” said Weintraub. “We therefore need to show solidarity and support or the IDF. We can’t forget the thousands on the ground protecting every inch of Israel, as we speak.

“The miracle called Israel has continued to exist as a strong and thriving country over the past 70 years, and it will continue to exist thanks to the heroic soldiers of the IDF, who put their lives on the line every day to defend the home of the Jewish nation,” he said. “I am proud to chair this extraordinary event and salute Israel’s soldiers for their countless sacrifices, historic victories and commitment to our people.”

Notable among the donations was a $5 million Planned Giving gift. Or Lachayal pledged $2.5 million; FIDF national vice president Marc Perlman pledged $1.6 million; Nefesh B’Nefesh pledged $1.3 million; FIDF Young Leadership New York pledged $1.2 million; FIDF national board member and New York Real Estate Division chairman emeritus Ofer Yardeni pledged $1 million on behalf of FIDF New York Real Estate; Brothers for Life pledged $1 million; Genesis Philanthropy Group pledged $700,000; and the Iranian American Jewish Federation pledged $550,000. Weintraub’s granddaughter pledged $180 for each of his 14 grandchildren.

Funds raised at the gala will provide much-needed and well-deserved services such as academic scholarships to combat veterans; financial assistance for soldiers in-need; support for “lone soldiers” throughout their service and upon release; crucial aid for wounded veterans and the families of fallen soldiers; weeks of rest and recuperation for entire IDF units; as well as educational, cultural and recreational facilities for all soldiers.

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Original Article in The JNS:

 When Jay Feinberg learned in 1991 that he had leukemia, he was told that he needed a bone-marrow transplant to survive. “My doctor said, ‘You will never find a match. Make your bucket list now.’ ”

Feinberg, 22 at the time, was in shock and disbelief. “When I asked why, he said “because you are Jewish, and the best chances of a match are people with the same genetic background.” There were no family members who were potential matches, and at the time, Jews were not well-represented among potential donors.

“I wasn’t prepared to give up,” he said. Feinberg, his family and their circle of friends were fighters. “I found a donor, the last one tested after four years!”

Feinberg survived the harrowing journey, remains in good health, and has devoted his life to helping create “The Gift of Life Marrow Registry,” which seeks to educate people about blood cancers, and to increase the numbers of Jews and people in general around the world to bone-marrow registries. By 1995, more than 60,000 people had been tested. Currently, 310,833 people are registered donors; 15,409 matches have been made; and to date, some 3,321 transplants have been facilitated.

Feinberg, who serves as president and CEO of Gift of Life, reports that “we went from less than a 5 percent chance of a match to a 75 percent chance of a match for Jewish patients.”

The Oct. 10 Gift of Life Gala raised $9.5 million, and honored Dr. Miriam and Sheldon Adelson with the Partners for Life Award. It was an emotional affair, featuring a swab table, and moving stories of donors and recipients. To mark the gala, Gift of Life’s orange brand color lit the peak of the Empire State Building and Renaissance Clock in Times Square on Wednesday night, while the Helmsley Building at 230 Park Avenue glowed orange on Tuesday.


Gift of Life Marrow Registry founder and CEO Jay Feinberg (left) with Gift of Life Marrow Registry Partners for Life Award honorees Dr. Miriam and Sheldon Adelson. Credit: David Nicholas Photography.

Guests were greeted by Gift of Life staff member Lindsay Katz and the table with swab kits. She explained the simple directions of how to join the registry by downloading SwabApp, completing a few forms and a cheek swab. “When I was 10, my 11-year-old cousin went through this and responded to medicine. I have been involved with Gift of Life ever since,” she said.

Isaac Zablocki, senior director of film programs and the Israel Film Center at the Marlene Meyerson JCC Manhattan, attended with his wife, Aviva, to witness his 6-year-old nephew, Idan, as he met his donor, Alex, for the first time. “I am prepared with tissues,” revealed Aviva Zablocki during the cocktail reception.

Giant screens in the orange-decorated room in Cipriani, the famed restaurant in the equally famous Bowery Building (built in 1921), displayed stories of donors and recipients including: “Peter met his recipient Etty at a Taglit Birthright convention in Tel Aviv,” and “David met his recipient Missy at Steps for Life 5K in South Florida.”

Each speaker movingly described his or her connection to Gift of Life, often quoting the well-known passage in the Talmud that states “he who saves a single life, it is as if he has saved an entire world.”


The Empire State Building in New York City displays the Gift of Life Marrow registry colors on Wednesday night, Oct. 10, 2018. Credit: Andrew Tess.

Dr. Miriam Adelson first learned this verse as a student in Haifa and recited it in Hebrew. “I am an emergency-room doctor, and we save lives every day. With just a swab, we can all save lives!” Her husband, Sheldon Adelson, echoed, “I have been in business for 73 years, but I can’t think of anything more important than saving a life. When I look at all of the philanthropic gifts that we make, I can’t see anything more important than the gift of life.”

While the crowd was inspired by the Adelsons’ commitment and philanthropic generosity, the true heroes of the evening were the donors and recipients. Idan, of New York City, who battled the potentially fatal immune deficiency Hyper IgM Syndrome (Hyper IgM), met his stem-cell donor, 22-year-old Alex Weiss, a New York financial analyst originally from Fort Lauderdale, Fla.

Weiss joined Gift of Life during a Birthright Israel trip. “The process has helped me realize how precious life is and how incredibly important it is to do mitzvot for others,” said Weiss upon meeting Zablocki. “I am so excited to meet my recipient, Idan. To my new little buddy, we will always be connected through DNA, and you will be always be connected through my heart.”

Weiss presented Zablocki with a jersey from University of Michigan, his alma mater, and a teddy bear. He also made a donation to Gift of Life.

‘We could do a 100 percent … ”

Psychologist Jon E. Perlman, 69, received his diagnosis just before Passover, referring to it as “the 11th plague.” Perlman, who battled Acute Myeloid Leukemia, met his stem-cell donor, Seth Benzell, 27, of Allston, Mass., a research associate at the Massachusetts Institute for Technology’s Initiative on the Digital Economy. The two noted living just 20 minutes from each other in Massachusetts. Benzell also joined Gift of Life during a Birthright trip.


Gift of Life Marrow registry donor Seth Benzell of Allston, Mass. (left) and recipient Jon Perlman of Sudbury, Mass. Credit: David Nicholas Photography.

The Adelson Family Foundation has enabled thousands of new donors to join the registry through Birthright Israel, resulting in more than 1,600 potential matches that have led to 209 transplants so far. Thomas Stern, chairman of the board of the Birthright Israel Foundation, noted that Benzell is “No. 200”—the 200th Birthright participant out of 214 who have thus far donated marrow to people with blood cancer.

“We will do 25,000 swabs this year out of our 50,000 participants. We could do 100 percent if we had an extra $1.5 million annually,” declared Stern.

Gift of Life’s expansion plans include relocating to a new larger headquarters in Boca Raton, Fla. The new offices will include an on-premises stem-cell collection center. The organization recently opened an office in Jerusalem to support its collaboration with Birthright Israel. Efforts also continue to expand the registry for currently underrepresented populations.

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Original Article in Chabad.org:

The sensory-friendly Sukkot celebration enabled Friendship Circle participants and members of the larger community to come together for the Sukkot event.

Silverstein Kramer relates that she helped start the Chicago Friendship Circle, then called Friendship Circle, as soon as she returned to Milwaukee eight years ago, and “we haven’t stopped since.” She is impressed at how well the Steins listen to parental concerns and input. She is especially pleased that the adult division is “quite active.”

And she loved this year’s sensory-friendly sukkah event. “It was so different from anything we’ve had before. It was amazing, fun, joyous, all-inclusive—with older and younger participants and caregivers and parents.” She described a disco ball hung at eye level, the many different colors and the headphones. “It makes a lot of sense. Some people can’t handle a lot of noise, big crowds and strangers. It was a fantastic idea. I am all for doing it again!”

The Steins were pleased as well. “It was incredible to see people with all abilities coming together and feeling like they had a place … Everybody felt included and had a great time.” Given the number of special days on the Jewish calendar, the Steins and the headphone company are likely to find ways to continue their wonderful partnership.

Sukkah guests could enjoy the party from outside on the street or inside the Lubavitch House.

Sukkah guests could enjoy the party from outside on the street or inside the Lubavitch House.

“When I called the headphone company, they said they never thought of the special-education aspect. I think it is a game-changer for them; they may have found a new market.” Stein rented 40 sets of headphones that light up in a range of colors.

“When I called the headphone company, they said they never thought of the special-education aspect. I think it is a game-changer for them; they may have found a new market.” Stein rented 40 sets of headphones that light up in a range of colors.

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Original Article in The JNS:

Ronald S. Lauder’s distinguished career includes many diverse roles, including business leader, philanthropist, art collector and U.S. Ambassador to Austria. He currently serves as president of the World Jewish Congress. By his own admission, sports fan or supporter is nowhere on the list.

“In my entire life, I have never said these four words: wide world of sports!” he quips. That may change very soon. Lauder is thinking a lot about soccer these days. He has been meeting with Roman Abramovich, owner of Chelsea FC (Football Club), the top English soccer team. He even attended a Chelsea game, noting, “They yell a lot!”

But Lauder’s interest in soccer may have more to do with his interest in combatting anti-Semitism than with the sport itself.

At an exclusive VIP cocktail reception on Sept. 17 at Lauder’s New York City home—attendees included diplomats from more than 40 countries, as well as representatives of the World Jewish Congress and its CEO, Robert Singer; senior Chelsea FC officials; members of the media; and other distinguished guests—Lauder unveiled an innovative idea to use worldwide interest in soccer to combat anti-Semitism.

As he observes, “We have seen anti-Semitism on the right and left, on college campuses, in Europe and in the Middle East, and even in soccer stadiums. Soccer stadiums are no place for Nazi salutes or slurs against Muslim or black players!”

According to the World Jewish Congress, soccer, especially in Europe, has been plagued by instances of anti-Semitism and racism for years. Fans have led anti-Semitic chants, including making hissing noises to evoke the Nazi gas chambers, and targeted African and black players with monkey sounds, among other offensive actions. Ultra-nationalists and neo-Nazis have also played roles in supporter groups for various teams. Lauder says “sports are supposed to be for fun, excellence and competition.”

‘It needs to be pushed out’

The WJC and Chelsea FC therefore announced an ambitious new initiative, “Red Card for Hate,” which aims to promote a global dialogue to combat all forms of hatred in sports. The initiative will include three projects: “Pitch for Hope,” a video project and an international forum—all geared towards encouraging supporters, government officials and the public to treat hate phenomena more seriously and to engage in discourse for effective action.

“Pitch for Hope” invites young adults in the United States, the United Kingdom and Israel to submit proposals for projects that “harness the spirit of comradery in sports to build bridges between people of all backgrounds, faiths and walks of life.” Finalist will be invited to present their proposals at Chelsea FC’s Stamford Bridge Stadium in London; the winners from each country will receive a $10,000 grant to develop and implement their pilot project.

As part of stage two, the WJC and Chelsea FC will produce a series of videos to raise awareness about the effects of anti-Semitism and discrimination. They will address such issues as mutual respect between fans and players and fans of differing backgrounds, and will be rolled out over the course of the 2018-19 football (soccer) season.

In the third stage of the initiative, WJC and Chelsea will host a forum bringing together national football associations, football clubs, players, government officials and others to share best practices, to create a forum for discussion and collaboration, and to create a network of people and organizations to enhance the fight against anti-Semitism in sports.

Lauder notes the potential for success given the number of people who watch sports. “Sports events are seen by billions, not millions.”

He adds, “Our goal is to wipe out anti-Semitism in sports. It doesn’t go away by itself. It needs to be pushed out. To see the Nazi salute … it shouldn’t happen!”

‘Take it to the next level’

The kick-off event in Lauder’s home included short remarks by Singer and such guests as Eugene Tenenbaum, director of the Chelsea Football Club; Consul General of France in New York Anne-Claire Legendre; Gary Bettman, commissioner of the National Hockey League; and Lee Igel, clinical associate professor in the New York University Tisch Institute for Global Sport.

Tenenbaum described an increase of anti-Semitic events in England from 100 a year before Brexit, to about 100 a month at present. He and his colleagues have carefully considered ways to address it. “When we saw the anti-Semitic chants of fans, we decided not to kick them out, but to educate them, and to show what it is that happens when we say it and mean it.”

He says the partnership with the WJC “let’s us take it to the next level.”

They have already organized meetings of Chelsea FC players with Holocaust survivors, and have brought 150 fans and players to the March of the Living in Poland.

Legendre called the work of the WJC and Chelsea FC “relevant and inspiring,” and noted that “France is not immune to anti-Semitism.” She added that “we will fight it to our utmost.”

Bettman spoke of the importance of sports for setting a tone and feels that sports “can be an incredible vehicle.”

He shared that in the NHL, “we don’t tolerate acts of hatred in our buildings or at our games. We host 1,300 events a year and want to make sure fans know the expectations and feel welcomed.” He drew a with Judaism to sports, playfully noting that “people come together, have ceremonial garb, a ceremonial chant and a common focus that is an emotional connection.”

Igel offered a powerful story about a 1938 soccer match between Germany and Austria right before the Anschluss (the annexation of Austria into Nazi Germany on 12 March 1938). He then spoke about the anti-Semitism and hatred that still exist in the world.

“That is why this work is so important; it is not just another nice program full of good intentions.” Igel referred to the three phases of the “Red Card for Hate” initiative, mentioning that it will include the convening of an international summit in Paris in 2019 to battle discrimination, racism and anti-Semitism in sports.

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