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.