The soldiers at Camp Ariel Sharon, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) training campus in Southern Israel, can now pray and celebrate in the largest IDF synagogue to date. The synagogue was donated by Friends of the Israel Defense Forces (FIDF) Western Region Founder and Chairman Emeritus, Leo David, and his wife, Ruth. The “Or Olam” Synagogue inauguration took place on Tuesday. FIDF Executive Director in Israel Brig. Gen. (Res.) Effi Idan represented the organization. Located in the center of Camp Ariel Sharon, the synagogue, which includes a new Torah scroll, contains about 350 seats, a study room for Torah lessons and a special class for soldiers undergoing conversion to Judaism. The new synagogue will be used by all soldiers and commanders who serve and train on the base. “We are here today to congratulate and express gratitude to the IDF soldiers as this synagogue is for them. This is probably the most beautiful, and definitely the largest, synagogue I have seen in the IDF and it could not be possible without the donation from Friends of the Israel Defense Forces (FIDF), a non-profit that gives unconditional love to the soldiers of Israel while understanding that the IDF does not only protect the state of Israel but Jewish people wherever they are,” said Idan. FIDF builds, refurbishes, and maintains buildings for the wellbeing of IDF soldiers, among them sports centers, culture halls, synagogues, memorial rooms, swimming pools, sports facilities, and soldiers’ homes throughout Israel. FIDF’s newest series of projects includes seven facilities serving the IDF’s elite units, at a total cost of $14.5 million. FIDF has recently completed the construction of 12 wellbeing and education facilities at the IDF Training Campus in the Negev, at a total cost of $43 million. In addition, 11 FIDF projects are currently in the process of being constructed.
