more are being designed. In 2013, a new home for Lone Soldiers in Israel was opened in Ramat Gan with a special ceremony marking the completion of the $5 million project launched by Friends of the Israel Defense Forces and headed by Elias and Lila Kalimian and family of Great Neck, New York. Missions to Israel Friends of the Israel Defense Forces organizes several yearly missions to Israel in which delegates interact directly with the beneficiaries of Friends of the Israel Defense Forces' support and meet with high-level Israeli government representatives. FIDF National Leadership Mission to Israel takes place annually in November. In 2014, this delegation included 160 delegates with VIP events such as meetings with Israel's newly elected President, Reuven Rivlin, and the Israel Defense Forces' Chief of the General Staff, Benny Gantz, as well as a briefing by Israel’s senior official on Arab Affairs, Avi Melamed. FIDF Delegation to Poland and Israel: From Holocaust to Independence takes place annually in April. The delegates begin the trip in Poland with visits to sites such as the Auschwitz-Birkenau camps and then fly to Israel on an Israeli Air Force plane. The Israel portion of the trip includes meetings with Israel's leaders and ceremonies commemorating Israel's Memorial Day and Independence Day. FIDF National Young Leadership Mission to Israel takes place annually in the summer. The eleven-day trip traces the path of an Israel Defense Forces' soldier from the soldier's first day at the military induction center (Bakum) to the daily routine of different soldiers' positions at training bases around the country and unit posts on the borders. Mitzvah projects Friends of the Israel Defense Forces Mitzvah Projects allow Bar and Bat Mitzvah children to contribute to Israeli soldiers by supporting the Friends of the Israel Defense Forces program of their choice through making phone calls, starting an online campaign, sending emails, or hosting events. Planned giving Friends of the Israel Defense Forces' Planned Giving allows donors to realize their philanthropic goals while simultaneously securing their financial future and the future welfare of Israel's soldiers. Planned giving options include gift annuities, charitable remainder trusts, bequests, endowments and other planned gifts. Organization In addition to its national headquarters in New York and its office in Israel, Friends of the Israel Defense Forces has fifteen chapters in the United States. Fundraising Friends of the Israel Defense Forces collects tax-deductible donations through a variety of