34 | FEBRUARY 8 • 2024 J
N

Howard and Michelle Shear, Kathy and Jeff Cohen

PHOTOGRAPHY BY 
NEIL COHEN PHOTOGRAPHY INC, COURTESY OF FIDF

M

ore than 150 Friends of the IDF (FIDF) sup-
porters from Michigan, Ohio and Illinois win-
tering in Florida, as well as Palm Beach natives, 
gathered for a special breakfast briefing event with Middle East 
Strategic Intelligence Analyst Avi Melamed on Dec. 14, at the 
BallenIsles Country Club at Palm Beach Gardens. Laney and 
Harold Becker from Ohio sponsored the event.
Melamed serves as the Fellow of Intelligence and Middle East Affairs for 
the Eisenhower Institute. He is an expert on current affairs in the Arab and 
Muslim world and their impact on Israel and the Middle East. 
Also in attendance was FIDF VP Southern Region Brian Sarran; FIDF 
Michigan Chapter Director Paula Lebowitz; FIDF Ohio Chapter Director Lane 
Schlessel; FIDF Ohio Board Chairs Jeff and Kathy Cohen.
The event included a special live Zoom with the IDF Combat Intelligence 
Corps Unit 414 to light Chanukah candles in tandem with the command-
er and soldiers of that unit, also sharing their insights into what they have 
encountered since Oct. 7.
FIDF is the single organization in the United States, designated by the IDF, 
authorized to raise funds for its soldiers. All funds raised go toward lifesaving 
medical supplies such as ambulances, plasma, medical devices and field hos-
pitals as well as hygiene kits and aid for the thousands of bereaved families 
suffering the loss of a loved one. 
One hundred percent of proceeds and donations to FIDF since the start of 
the war are going toward the emergency humanitarian needs of IDF soldiers. 
So far, more than $53.4 million has been transferred to the IDF to meet their 
most urgent requests for its soldiers. Donations can be made at 
www.fidf.org. 

Michigan Snowbirds 
Among Those at 
FIDF Briefing 
in Florida 

Front: Gail Danto, Lori Garon, Paula Lebowitz, Judy Karp, 
David Karp. Back: Arthur Roffey and Larry Garon. 

Paula Lebowitz, Lane Schlessel, Lainey Becker, Avi Melamed, 
Harold Becker and Brian Sarran

Lane Schlessel, Avi Melamed, Kathy and Jeff Cohen

Avi Melamed, 
guest speaker 

ABOVE:
Paula Lebowitz, 
James Boschan

faces&places

