FIDF chairman and CEO resign amid reports of financial abuse, mismanagement

Morey Levovitz accused of financial abuse and creating a toxic culture in the non-profit, which has raised hundreds of millions of dollars for IDF soldiers

By Zev Stub

You will receive email alerts from this author. Manage alert preferences on your profile page

You will no longer receive email alerts from this author. Manage alert preferences on your profile page

22 July 2025, 6:57 pm

Edit

Zev Stub is the Times of Israel's Diaspora Affairs correspondent.

The chairman and CEO of Friends of the Israel Defense Forces (FIDF) stepped down Tuesday following an internal investigation of the organization that alleged financial mismanagement, internal dysfunction, and a toxic workplace culture.

Morey Levovitz resigned from his position as chairman of the non-profit, which raised hundreds of millions of dollars to support IDF soldiers since Hamas launched its war with Israel on October 7, 2023.

CEO Steve Weil has also resigned, after holding the position for five years, FIDF said in a statement Tuesday.

Former FIDF chairperson Nily Falic will fill Levovitz’s position until the FIDF board goes through a formal process of nominating officers for an election in September.

Major General (res) Nadav Padan, who has served FIDF as national director for the past four years, will lead its day-to-day operations. The board will vote at an upcoming meeting on whether to appoint Padan as CEO.

Earlier in July, the Hebrew daily Ynet reported on an 18-page document from an internal investigation that accused Levovitz of awarding contracts to associates without oversight and authorizing lavish spending. The investigation also found that he handpicked committee members to consolidate his power and created a toxic workplace culture that pervaded the entire organization.

FIDF has been in a state of internal turmoil since the report was made public, and has been investigating the findings.

A national board meeting to vote Levovitz out of his position last week was delayed in order to give him the opportunity to resign on his own, according to reports.

Over 1,200 people gather for a Friends of the IDF gala in New York on October 23, 2017. (Shahar Azran/FIDF)

Levovitz resigned “out of deep respect for the mission of FIDF and to help usher in a new chapter for the organization,” FIDF’s statement said. “We are sincerely grateful to Morey for his visionary leadership, especially during one of the most critical periods in Israel’s history.”

“We are fully committed to building a culture of transparency, collaboration, and unity within our organization because when FIDF is strong internally, we are strongest for Israel’s soldiers,” the organization added.

FIDF was founded in 1981, and has 25 chapters across the United States that raise funds to benefit Israeli soldiers.

The organization is known for flashy, high-profile fundraising events with celebrities that have attracted donations from prominent billionaire philanthropists.

It raised a whopping $280 million in 2023 on the heels of the October 7 Hamas attack, a sum believed to be more than any other Jewish charity, according to JTA.