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Annual Women’s Brigade New York Luncheon supports Israel Defense Forces soldiers
Courtesy of Friends of the IDF
New York, NY (May 30, 2024) – More than 400 Zionist women, supporters of Friends of the Israel Defense Forces (FIDF), gathered in New York City for a sold out 2024 “FIDF Tristate Women’s Brigade Luncheon” to honor the brave soldiers of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) who shoulder the vital responsibility of safeguarding the Jewish homeland.
Held one week after Israel’s milestone 76th anniversary, the event served as a powerful demonstration of solidarity with the hundreds of thousands of IDF soldiers on the frontlines, risking their lives to rescue the remaining hostages and restore security in Israel after the horrendous Oct. 7 massacre. Special recognition was given to the courageous women in uniform who make extraordinary contributions and personal sacrifices for the State of Israel and Jewish communities worldwide. Funds raised at the event are going toward funding the most urgent humanitarian needs of IDF soldiers.
Featured guests were former Hamas hostage, Aviva Segal, and American singer, songwriter, actress and Israel advocate, Montana Tucker, who proudly expressed her solidarity with Israel and deep commitment to openly identify as Jewish and pro-Israel.
Perhaps the most emotional part of the event was when Segal, who was released after being held hostage by Hamas for 51 days, addressed the crowd about her harrowing and traumatic experience in Gaza: “I’m lucky to be standing here with you, because I could be dead. We used to sit on the mattress and stay quiet. We weren’t allowed to stand up, and we weren’t allowed to move … There were so many minutes while I was there that I used to say to myself, I wish they would just kill me and finish with this. Finish with this hell.” She continued, “One of the days, one of the girls went to the bathroom and when she came back, I could see that something happened. Only after a few hours she finally said to us 'he touched me.' We were all crying with her and from that moment, we were scared all the time that it will happen again.”
Segal got very emotional when she spoke about her husband. “Keith is there for 229 days. My heart is broken. It’s too much for me to handle. We need him back. We need them all back.”
Guests at the event were honored to hear from Sgt. Maj. (Res.) Hannah, a Lone Soldier from France, who serves as a combat paramedic in Gaza. Sgt. Maj. (Res.) Hannah moved to Israel to serve in the IDF when she was 17. Today she is the only woman in her unit, bravely engaging in combat and saving lives on the battlefield.
"Every day, I use the life-saving medical equipment FIDF provides to treat injuries and save the lives of our soldiers. This includes plasma, oxygen, blood warmers and monitors," she said. "My team even received a new, fully stocked, FIDF combat ambulance, our moving emergency room, that sped our soldiers to helicopters or to hospitals while we treated them inside."
Designated by the IDF, FIDF is the sole organization in the United States that is authorized to raise funds for the soldiers’ humanitarian needs. The organization acts according to the requirements of the IDF's Manpower Directorate in responding to needs deemed most urgent by the IDF. Since the start of the war, funds have been directed to lifesaving medical supplies as well as hygiene kits for soldiers in the field, aid for thousands of bereaved families and emergency support for Lone Soldiers. Most recently, FIDF committed to funding an $85 million initiative for soldiers and veterans in need of PTSD and mental rehab support, to rebuild bases that were destroyed on Oct. 7 and to support bereaved families.
“From intelligence officers to tech engineers, pilots and combat soldiers, women play critical roles in the IDF, and so do the women who support them,” said Director of FIDF’s Tri-State Women’s Brigade Sharona Yadegar. “It is an honor to be part of an organization that provides our supporters with a conduit to make a tangible difference in the lives of the IDF soldiers, directly impacting the front lines, as well as help to secure Israel’s future.”
