More than 2,000 Israeli soldiers were hosted at a musical gala at the Tel Aviv Port on Saturday evening, in a tribute to their military service.
The Chanukah-timed event with top Israeli performers including Eyal Golan and Lior Narkis was geared for 2,300 regular army and reserve soldiers, including some wounded in combat.
“It is a great honor for us to host IDF soldiers and provide them with an evening of joy, encouragement and upliftment during these challenging times for our country,” said Israel Goldstein, chairman of the KKL-JNF National Employees Organization, who enlisted members of the labor union to donate a vacation day to fund the $350,000 event.
The union members previously donated nearly $700,000 through forgoing vacation days to purchase protective gear for combat soldiers, organize stress-relief days for evacuated families, establish a business fair for more than 150 small-business owners, provide hundreds of computers for the rehabilitation department at Sheba Medical Center in Ramat Gan and other causes.
