More than 2,000 Israeli soldiers were hosted at a musical gala at the Tel Aviv Port on Saturday evening, in a tribute to their military service.

The Chanukah-timed event with top Israeli performers including Eyal Golan and Lior Narkis was geared for 2,300 regular army and reserve soldiers, including some wounded in combat.

“It is a great honor for us to host IDF soldiers and provide them with an evening of joy, encouragement and upliftment during these challenging times for our country,” said Israel Goldstein, chairman of the KKL-JNF National Employees Organization, who enlisted members of the labor union to donate a vacation day to fund the $350,000 event.