fundraising efforts, including community events, online activity, concerts, missions to Israel, and small-scale parlor meetings. Many high-level Israeli and American officials and cultural icons have spoken and participated at Friends of the Israel Defense Forces' gala dinners, including: Israel Defense Forces' Chief of the General Staff, Lt. Gen. Benjamin (Benny) Gantz Former Minister of Defense Ehud Barak Former Israel Defense Forces' Chief of the General Staff Lt. Gen.Gabi Ashkenazi Former Minister of Defense Moshe Ya'alon Prime Minister of Israel Benjamin Netanyahu Israeli President Reuven Rivlin Former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg Former Israeli Ambassador Daniel Ayalon Actor Jason Alexander Music producer David Foster Actress-singer Barbra Streisand Haim Saban Benny Shabtai Simon Cowell Lionel Richie Macy Gray A. J. McLean Michael Dell Steve Tisch Sheldon Adelson Maurice and Paul Marciano Larry Ellison Monica Crowley Pamela Anderson Sylvester Stallone Arnold Schwarzenegger Chris Tucker Avi Arad Ben Silverman Alan Horn Barry Meyer Vivi Nevo Spencer Hawes Israel Defense Forces' soldiers and commanders as well as wounded veterans bereaved family members of fallen soldiers also take part in Friends of the Israel Defense Forces events. In the fall of 2014, Friends of the Israel Defense Forces' Western Region raised a record of more than $33 million in Beverly Hills, California. Other recent Friends of the Israel Defense Forces galas took place in Chicago ($2 million raised); Long Island, New York ($1.4 million raised); Michigan ($1 million raised); Boston ($800,000 raised at the gala and $4.1 million raised by the region this year); Northern New Jersey ($600,000 raised at the gala and $3 million raised by the region this year); Philadelphia; Ohio; San Francisco; San Diego; Baltimore; and Scarsdale, New York References External links Official site 1981 establishments in New York (state) Charities based in New York City Israel Defense Forces Jewish charities based in the United States Foreign charities operating in Israel Zionist organizations