East Rutherford–The former head of Israel’s Navy, Lone Soldiers from New Jersey, and former and active-duty IDF soldiers joined over 340 prominent lay leaders and supporters of Friends of the Israel Defense Forces (FIDF) from across the Garden State for the FIDF New Jersey Chapter’s 10th Annual Gala. The event at the Hilton Secaucus Meadowlands raised $600,000 for well-being programs supporting the men and women of the IDF. The event caps a year-long $3 million community campaign.

A special moment came when Sgt. Moshe, a Lone Soldier from Edison, surprised his mother on stage. Moshe, who served in the Paratroopers Brigade, was injured during Operation Protective Edge and hospitalized at Sheba Medical Center in Ramat Gan. Moshe’s mother, Sharon, thought she was receiving a Skype video from her son, but instead got the surprise of her life when he appeared on stage. Moshe’s New Jersey family then pledged to sponsor a flight to bring a Lone Soldier home to visit loved ones.

Joining the event were former Lone Soldiers and current NJ Chapter leaders Sammy Bar-Or and Avi Oren. The New Jersey Chapter, also known as the “Lone Soldier” Chapter, was founded in 2005 when Bar-Or, Oren, and fellow Lone Soldier, Mike Gross, reunited after their service in the IDF, to provide aid to soldiers serving in Israel without any immediate family in the country.