New York & Washington, D.C. · 2026

“A Community Embracing Bereaved Families” brings together Jewish communities in the United States with the families of fallen IDF soldiers living in the Diaspora. The flagship event is produced by the Families, Commemoration and Heritage Division of Israel's Ministry of Defense, the IDF Widows and Orphans Organization, FIDF, and Yad Labanim, in partnership with the World Zionist Organization. This year, two gatherings were held, one in Manhattan, at the Altneu synagogue, and one in Washington, D.C., at the congregation of Israel's ambassador, himself a member of a bereaved family. Speakers included WZO Chairman Yaakov Hagoel and Israel's Consul General in New York, Ofir Akunis. The evening was hosted by Tzvika Hadar and featured a musical performance by Israeli singer Harel Skaat.