26 | AUGUST 19 • 2021

OUR COMMUNITY

M

ore than 300 women gath-
ered Aug. 4 for the Friends
of the Israel Defense Forces
(FIDF) Michigan Women of Valor
Luncheon at Temple Israel in West
Bloomfield.
The event, co-chaired by Judy Karp
and Karen Weiss, raised over $250,000
to support the FIDF IMPACT!
Scholarship program. These four-
year scholarships are given to former
combat soldiers from lower socioeco-
nomic backgrounds, enabling them to
achieve their dreams of higher educa-
tion. The program also provides funds
to cover soldiers’ living expenses while
they study and gives them the unique
benefit of direct contact with their
FIDF sponsors.
“FIDF Michigan community
IMPACT! donors have supported
227 IDF veterans through college
for the 2020-2021 year,” said FIDF
Michigan Director Paula Lebowitz.
“We are so grateful to those who
support this important program,
which helps Israeli combat veter-
ans — who wouldn’t otherwise have
the opportunity to pursue higher
education — attend university and
continue contributing to Israel’s
future even after completing their
military service.”
The event’s honoree, Bluma
Schechter, an active leader and vol-
unteer in the Detroit community
has sponsored many students in the
program including Sgt. (Res.) Yuval
Nifousy, 27, who served in Israeli
Combat Intelligence Collection
Corps and studies psychology at the
Academic College of Tel Aviv.
“Dear Mrs. Schechter, thank you for

the huge opportunity you have given
me to graduate with a psychology
degree. The IMPACT! scholarship has
changed my life. Not only my life, but
the lives of so many others like me.
You are transforming the future of
Israel!” said Nifousy at the event.
“Being here today, I am so proud
and honored to be surrounded by
such powerful, hardworking women.
You are all an inspiration to me. I
could not start my degree without
you, or even have the ability to focus
on my growth and education with the
financial burden of college.
”
The benefit featured a keynote
speech from Staff Sgt. (Ret.) Shir
Peled, the first woman to serve as an
Israel Defense Forces (IDF) combat
soldier in an Israeli counter-terror-
ism unit. Peled’s service in the IDF
inspired the role of Nurit in the
Netflix hit Fauda, played by actress
Rona-Lee Shimon.
Since its inception in 2002, FIDF
has provided 15,884 four-year finan-
cial need-based scholarships, each
of which costs $16,000, to Israeli
combat veterans. During the 2020-
2021 academic year, FIDF’s IMPACT!
Scholarship Program granted 4,256
scholarships to deserving individuals
and is one of FIDF’s flagship and most
successful programs.
The power of the FIDF IMPACT!
Program resonates far beyond the
individual, as each scholarship recip-
ient is required to give back to his or
her community by completing 130
volunteer hours during each year of
study. All funds raised at the luncheon
go toward supporting the scholarship
program.

FROM TOP: Judy Karp,
Women of Valor co-chair,
Paula Lebowitz, FIDF direc-
tor Michigan Chapter, Bluma
Schechter, 2021 Women of
Valor honoree, and Karen
Weiss, co-chair.

Yuval Nifousy, Impact
Scholarship student, Bluma
Schechter, guest speaker Shir
Peled and Paula Lebowitz.

Greg Shechter, Ryan
Zimmerman, Sammie
Schechter, Greg Schechter,
Marc Schechter; bottom, Julia
Schechter, Bluma Schechter,
Rachel Schechter and Susie
Schechter.

RIGHT: Staff Sgt. (Ret.) Shir
Peled speaking at the event.

More than 300 women attend event
in West Bloomfield.

FIDF Luncheon
Raises $250,000

JN STAFF

RON LIEBERMAN, LIEBERMAN PHOTOGRAPHY, COURTESY OF FIDF.