Friends of Unit 669

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Friends of Unit 669

Our mission is to support Unit 669 veterans and make a lasting impact on their lives, as well as on Israeli society and communities worldwide.

American Friends of Unit 669 (AFU669) is a nonprofit strengthening the bond between American Jewish communities and Israel’s elite Combat Search and Rescue Unit 669. American Friends of Unit 669 (AFU669) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to strengthening the connection between American Jewish communities and Israel’s elite Combat Search and Rescue Unit 669. Founded in 1974 following the Yom Ki

ppur War, Unit 669 is the Israeli Air Force’s premier Combat Search and Rescue unit. Originally focused on recovering downed pilots behind enemy lines, the unit has expanded its mission to include rescuing IDF personnel and civilians during mass casualty incidents, terror attacks, and natural disasters. AFU669 provides vital support through programs like PTSD assistance, scholarships, mentorship, and life-saving equipment to ensure veterans successfully transition to civilian life and continue to contribute to society. Join us in honoring the courage and commitment of Unit 669’s members by supporting our initiatives and participating in our events. Together, we can make a meaningful difference for those who have sacrificed so much to save others.

08/19/2026

D. served as a combat soldier in Unit 669. The missions demanded precision and the ability to decide fast under pressure.

After his service he moved into mental health. He is now working on Project Save a Life, an effort to improve how Israel's mental health system treats suicidal ideation. Instead of reaching patients one at a time, the project trains the people who train clinicians, working with academic and clinical institutions in Israel and the US.

New episode: D. on carrying the same mission into a very different setting.

Click below and listen to the full episode

https://open.spotify.com/episode/3cud6JMo11nGV2p29md32i?si=SWCQGJWHQj2Vz7OMuHKtQQ

08/11/2026

Kinda chic to save lives 🫡

08/04/2026

A summer evening in Westhampton Beach with the AFU669 community.

Thank you to our gracious hosts for opening their home and bringing friends old and new together in support of the men and women of Unit 669.

Guests heard from Captain (Res.) Bar Reuven, Co-Founder and Executive Director of AFU669, and from Major (Res.) Y, an AFU669 scholarship recipient and combat officer who served more than 250 days of reserve duty during the war in Gaza. He shared his story of courage, leadership, and what it takes to bring people home.

Thank you to everyone who joined us and continues to stand with our heroes.

Support the mission: afu669.org/donate�

Want to host an AFU669 evening in your community? Email Anat at [email protected] or send us a DM.

07/22/2026

On Tisha B'Av, we pause to remember.

The destruction of Jerusalem, and the losses the Jewish people have carried in every generation since.

We mourn together, and we endure together.

07/09/2026

30 new cats just joined the family 🚁🐈‍⬛

This moment marks the end of an elite journey, and the beginning of a lifelong mission: to save lives, no matter the cost.

Welcome home. We have got your back.

07/03/2026

250 years of American freedom. Happy Fourth of July 🇺🇸

From all of us at American Friends of Unit 669, thank you to the country whose values make our work possible, and to the community that stands with Israel every day of the year.

Wishing you a beautiful holiday.

06/30/2026

🎙️ NEW EPISODE OUT NOW

In this episode of PodCats 6:6:9, Ben Zeskind joins us to talk about data, discipline, and the long game.

From his time in Ben-Gurion to building tools that are changing cancer treatment, this conversation digs into how the right data, applied the right way, can move medicine forward.

🎧 Listen now: https://open.spotify.com/episode/1nujhj9sTF4Gw1LItXQEB4

06/29/2026

With heavy hearts, the AFU669 community joins the CAT Association and the entire Unit 669 family in mourning the passing of alumnus Itai Buks.

Our thoughts are with his family and all who knew and loved him.

May his memory be a blessing.
יהי זכרו ברוך

06/15/2026

He served as an officer in Unit 669. Today he's at Harvard completing his Masters of Public Health.

An AFU669 scholarship helped make it happen.

Every year we fund 80 veterans pursuing higher education. 25% go to medical students. Many come back to serve as physicians within the unit.
They stepped up when it mattered. We make sure they're not left behind when it's over.

Support the scholarship program: https://www.afu669.org/donate

06/08/2026

An evening dedicated to the medical mission behind AFU669.
On June 1st, physicians, donors, and friends gathered at LifeSci Advisors' NYC offices for an intimate evening with two leaders in Israeli emergency medicine and proud members of the AFU669 community.

Dr. I.S., Major (Res.), MD. Anesthesiologist at Tel Aviv University Medical Center and Beth Israel Deaconess. Medical Director at the Center for Medical Simulation.

Dr. U.M., Major (Res.), MD. Internist at Sheba Medical Center, MPH candidate at Harvard, and an AFU669 scholarship recipient.
Thank you to our hosts Michael Rice, Michael A. Margolis, R.Ph., and Michael Marin, MD. To our sponsors LifeSci Advisors and Oppenheimer & Co. Inc..And to the AFU669 medical committee for making this evening possible:

David Ben Eli, MD
Danny Karlsberg, MD
Thomas Bojko, MD
Joseph Offenbacher, MD
Adam Fox, MD
Bobby Tawil, Paramedic
Neal Flomenbaum, MD

Want to bring an evening like this to your city? Want to support the mission directly? www.afu669.org

Address

New York, NY
10009

Website

http://www.afu669.org/

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