In life, moral leadership is measured not by stirring slogans or fundraising gimmicks but by consistency of action. By this standard, Friends of the IDF, specifically CEO Steven Weil, has failed miserably, abandoning IDF widows and orphans precisely when their need was greatest, only to rediscover them when tragedy made them convenient fundraising props.
Recall that eighteen months into the COVID pandemic, before controversial Morey Levovitz assumed his role as chairman of the board, FIDF withdrew critical funding from the IDF Widows and Orphans Organization, eliminating nearly a quarter of that group's budget. This sudden abandonment left the organization in a devastating financial hole because their entire U.S. fundraising depended exclusively upon FIDF. Bereaved families, already suffering immeasurable loss, found themselves further isolated as the organization was forced into severe operational cutbacks. FIDF's action, executed while sitting on substantial cash reserves, was cynically justified through bureaucratic claims of alignment with the IDF’s "priority of needs."
Yet, when tragedy again struck publicly, Weil and FIDF shamelessly rediscovered their compassion. On November 13, 2023, FIDF released an astonishingly insensitive fundraising appeal asking donors to help 83 bereaved families, dramatically urging supporters to "shine a ray of hope into their darkest hour." The hypocrisy was glaring. The same organization that months earlier refused to spare funds from its ample reserves for widows and orphans suddenly invoked their suffering to solicit donations.
Then came the glossy "After the Shiva" campaign, complete with Weil's claim, "this program is about connecting…showing them they are not alone—not today, not tomorrow, not ever." Yet these families were emphatically alone when FIDF previously turned its back on them.
One must ask Weil directly: Where was this compassion when the headlines faded? Were these grieving families only valuable when their suffering could bolster fundraising?
The true test of moral character is consistency, particularly when no one is watching. On this fundamental test, Weil and FIDF have utterly failed.
PS - If anybody wishes to connect directly with organizations devoted exclusively to serving IDF widows and orphans—with zero overhead and guided purely by compassion and love—please reach out to me personally. It would be my honor to facilitate introductions, ensuring your generosity reaches families who truly deserve unwavering support.
