JEWISH HOME LA

Annual “A Toast to our Heroes” Honors IDF Soldiers and Vets

On Saturday night, March 4th, 200 Angelenos gathered at The Mark for the annual “A Toast to Our Heroes” event, honoring 10 Israel Defense Forces (IDF) soldiers and veterans who were wounded in Operation Protective Edge.

The party was the culmination of a 10-day Trip of a Lifetime organized by Lev Chayal. Co-founded by Brocha Yemini and a hosting committee of young professionals, Lev Chayal is under the auspices of Chabad Israel Center. It’s devoted to building a community of love and support around injured IDF soldiers.

Wounds of war stay with our soldiers the rest of their lives. The Trip of a Lifetime is a gift of gratitude in which we all can take part. The trip eases the unimaginable physical and emotional trauma veterans have experienced during military service protecting the land of Israel.

During their time in L.A., the delegation visited Staples Center, Tinder HQ, Headspace, Getty Villa, Hollywood Boulevard, OUE Skyspace, RTA Brand, and much more!

“Israeli soldiers wounded while protecting our country deserve respect, love, and affection from the greater Jewish community of Los Angeles,” says founder Brocha Yemini. She adds, “We are incredibly grateful for the warm welcome the community showed our delegation. We appreciate all the individuals who opened up their doors and hearts to support our soldiers and the Trip of a Lifetime, especially Marvin Markowitz, who generously supports our project.”

A video from the Knesset was shown. Asaf Goren presented awards to the soldiers, and Avner Saban gave greetings from the Israeli Consulate and expressed how important it is to support Lev Chayal. The next delegation arrives December 2017. To get involved please contact team@levchayal.com.