Magen David Adom in Israel WELCOMES its Friends Rabbi Haim Ovadia Yosef passed away Z"L 2 3 MDAOnLine 17.10.2013 CPR workshop for the youth volunteer's parents record-breaking inaugural afmda los angeles gala raises 3.8 $ Million Look for us on facebook www.facebook.com/mdaonline Like 4 5 A day with mda Young Volunteers from abroad in Israeli ambulances 6 7 Young Swedish Doctors Visit MDA Tel Aviv Regional Station Course No. 122 of MDA Overseas Volunteers Program 8 9
IMDAC 2013 A The International Magen David Adom Conference IMDAC 2013 Is convening in Tel Aviv, Israel between October 20-24, 2013 Magen David Adom in Israel WELCOMES its Friends, Sharing and Caring for the welfare Of the People of Israel, everyday. 2
Photography: MDA Spokesmanship Rabbi Haim Ovadia Yosef passed away Z"L On Monday, October 7, 2013 the righteous Rabbi Haim Ovadia Yosef was brought to his final resting place after a long struggle with his deteriorating health in Hadassah Ein Karem Hospital. Hundreds of thousands of participants came to show their final respect at the funeral which took place in Jerusalem. MDA teams provided medical security for the funeral and provided medical treatment to 296 people. Since the afternoon, hundreds of thousands of people accompanied Rabbi Haim Ovadia Yosef to his final resting place following his passing in Hadassah Ein Karem Hospital, he was 93 years old. Rabbi Yosef suffered from several health issues during the last few years and his passing came after a long struggle for his life, which the doctors at the hospital had battled for over the last week. After learning of the Rabbi's death, MDA began preparations for the funeral, to which it was estimated hundreds of thousands of people attended. The preparations included the mapping of alternative travel routes for ambulances that continued to provide routine services to the residents of Jerusalem, activation of First Responders on motorbikes and on foot medics and paramedics along the path of the funeral, all in order to provide effective and quick treatment to anyone in need. During the funeral processions, MDA teams provided treatment to 296 patients who felt ill due to the crowdedness and due to dehydration. 29 participants were evacuated and required further care at the Jerusalem hospitals. 22 women in labor leaving in the neighborhoods, affected by the traffic jams, asked for MDA assistance to take them to the hospitals. In 1 event MDA team assisted a 22 year old female in the delivery of her new born son. MDA activated 2 MCRV's, 7 MICU's, 33 Ambulances, 30 Motorbikes, 2 Regional Command & Control Vehicles, and 380 EMT's & Paramedics from the Jerusalem, Dan, Lachish, Yarkon & Carmel Regions, and continued to provide the routine emergency medical services the citizens of Jerusalem region, deploying and activating all the lifesaving vehicles of the region. On Sunday 13.10, a memorial assembly was held for Rabbi Ovadia Yosef Z"l who passed away a week ago. Over 100,000 participants attended the assembly which began at 18:00 near the Sanhedria cemetery in Jerusalem. Many MDA teams underwent preparations prior to the assembly in order to provide treatment to all the participants. MDA raised its alert level within Jerusalem to its highest "C" level and in the center of Israel to level "B". In preparation for the assembly many MDA vehicles were utilized, among them, ambulances, Mobile Intensive Care Units (MICUs), First Responder motorbikes, a Mass Casualty Vehicle (MCV), modified 4x4 ambulances, and a Regional Command & Control vehicle, all of which were manned by trained MDA medics, paramedics, and first aid providers. In the crowd were many MDA personnel, on foot, that provided quick medical care to any in need. During the memorial assembly, MDA teams treated 78 injured, among them 11 who were evacuated to hospitals and required further medical care. The injured participants suffered mostly from fainting, dehydration, and minor wounds. 3
CPR workshop for the youth volunteer's parents In addition to the youth volunteers parent event that was held in Ramat-Gan station about two months ago, on Thursday the 8th of October, the youth volunteers parents were invited to a CPR workshop along with the youth volunteers in Ramat-Gan. The parents learned the theoretical elements of the CPR, and then alongside with their children practiced adult, child and infant CPR. The evening was a tremendous success and following that, many parents signed up for a Volunteer Medic and Driver Course that will be held next month in the Ramat-Gan station. 4
Record-Breaking inaugural AFMDA Los angeles Gala raises 3.8 $ million for MDA s emergency medical services in israel Most Funds Ever Raised at a Single AFMDA Event; Local LA leaders and philanthropists Dina and Fred Leeds Honored; Michelle Williams, Neil Sedaka, Jackie Mason, and Ethan Bortnick Attend and Perform Dina and Fred Leeds Michelle Williams Money Raised Will Help Build a New National Blood Center in Israel Sunday, October 6, 2013 was a historic night on at The Beverly Hilton as American Friends of Magen David Adom (AFMDA) s first-ever Los Angeles Gala raised a record $3.8 million for Magen David Adom (MDA) that will go towards emergency medical services and the building of a new National Blood Center in Israel. The amount was the most ever raised at a single AFMDA event. Dina and Fred Leeds were honored with the AFMDA Humanitarian Award. Gaby Bashner received the Woman of Valor Lifetime Achievement Award and Leba Sherman was also honored with the Woman of Valor Next Generation Award. The highly-anticipated event sold out weeks ahead of schedule and featured performances by legendary singer/songwriter Neil Sedaka, Emmy-Award winning comedian Jackie Mason, and 12-year-old piano prodigy and philanthropist Ethan Bortnick. Industry titans in finance, business, and entertainment lent support to the cause, Neil Sedaka, Jackie Mason including former Destiny s Child member Michelle Williams. Professor Eilat Shinar, MDA s Director of Blood Services and a world expert in blood management, was the evening s guest speaker. Israel s Consul General to Los Angeles, David Siegel, opened the event. California Congressman Brad Sherman s office presented the Leeds family with an official American flag that once flew atop the U.S. Capitol. The Gala also featured performances by Mona Golabek, Scott Hoying of The Pentatonix, and Gary Greene and His Big Band of Barristers. The Gala raised funds for all of MDA s lifesaving services, with the majority of the money going towards building a new blood center, equipped with new and secure underground blood storage facilities. "It was so inspiring to see the entire Los Angeles community come together to support the new National Blood Center while celebrating Dina and Fred Leeds, says AFMDA CEO Arnold Gerson. We still have a lot of work to do to reach our goal, but MDA and the people of Israel will soon have the kind of modern blood center they deserve. An after-party for AFMDA s NextGen and Young Leadership, featuring 35 partner organizations, followed the Gala at The Beverly Hilton. 5
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Young Volunteers from abroad in Israeli ambulances Volunteers from Nederland save lives in Israel Magen David Adom's ambulances are manned by MDA workers and volunteers, some of which are from abroad. "Today we had only a few small household accidents. Nothing serious, pretty boring". These are the comments of Maarten Zijp (23), a fourth year medical student from the faculty of medicine in Amsterdam. Around him the constant traffic and movement of ambulances at work and ambulance crews reacting or waiting to emergency calls by the control center that send them running off to man their ambulances. Martin has been in Israel one month already as a volunteer with Magen David Adom (MDA). FOTO: JOANNE NIHOM De vrijwilligers Maarten Zijp, Daliah Kuchisky (midden) en Roni van Buuren. p Israëlische ambulances woordelijk is voor het werven en selecteren van jeugdvrijwilligers. Als je de Israëlische maatschappij op een andere manier wilt leren kennen en iets voor een ander wilt betekenen, is het een prachtig programma. De vooropleiding is kort en intensief. Tien dagen lang wordt twaalf uur per dag geleerd. Vooral basiskennis die nodig is op de ambulance, zoals Basic Life Support (het geven van levensreddende hartmassage en beademing bij patiënten die bijvoorbeeld een hartstilstand hebben). Ook krijgen de deelnemers een spoedcursus Ivriet zodat zij basiskennis hebben van woorden die noodzakelijk zijn op de ambulance. Buurt verkennen Maarten zag op de Vrije Universiteit in Amsterdam een poster hangen met een aankondiging voor het programma. Het sloot aan bij mijn studie en ik wilde altijd al naar Israël. Roni van Buuren (19) hoorde erover via haar oma, die donateur is van MDA Nederland. Ze werd dit jaar uitgeloot voor een studie medicijnen en wilde zich tot het volgend jaar nuttig maken. Ik ben al vaak in Israël geweest, maar op deze manier is echt cool. Je ontmoet zoveel verschillende mensen. Als ik op de ambulance zit, heb ik het gevoel dat ik daadwerkelijk iets doe, vertelt ze zichtbaar trots. Net als Maarten is zij al een maand in Israël. Wat hen vooral op valt is de multiculturele Israëlische maatschappij. De indruk die je krijgt als je in Nederland woont, is dat er hier alleen maar gevochten wordt, maar dat is niet zo. Alleen al bij MDA werken veel Arabische vrijwilligers, zegt Maarten. Maar ook in de bus, in de winkels en in de ziekenhuizen, overal zie je Joden en Arabieren samen, vult Roni hem aan. Bij Maarten en Roni in de groep zit ook de Amerikaanse medicijnenstudente Daliah Kuchisky (19). Zij heeft plannen om op alia te gaan, maar studeert nu nog in de VS. Ik hoorde toevallig over dit programma en het sprak mij aan; mensen helpen en Israël op een andere manier leren kennen, dat leek mij wel iets. Als je op zoek bent naar een appartement is een dagje ambulance trouwens de Israël beste manier om de buurt te verkennen, we komen met de ambulance echt overal, zegt Daliah lachend. Alle drie de vrijwilligers zijn het erover eens: de Israëlische maatschappij is opener en vriendelijker dan ze hadden gedacht. Vandaag moesten we een oudere vrouw naar het ziekenhuis brengen omdat ze niet kon lopen. Haar twee dochters stonden ons op te wachten bij haar huis. Terwijl moeder nog op bed lag kregen we eerst wat te Als je op zoek bent naar een appartement is een dagje ambulance de beste manier om de buurt te verkennen C 42 35 Short Training Period A special two month program named after Yochai Porat Z"L (the first coordinator of this program) allows young volunteers to serve on ambulances of MDA. Every year almost 600 volunteers make their way to Israel from all corners of the world, Jews and non-jews. From Holland only 10 volunteers came this year, partially due to the limited exposure to the program. MDA Holland pays the cost of the course and the lodging for the volunteers, and for that it is expected that upon their return to Holland they will become active in promoting the organization. The program is appropriate to all those who are interested in getting to know a different side of Israeli society. The training is short but intensive. The course is a 10 day course with 12 hour days and includes basic and essential knowledge for every volunteer in an ambulance (Basic Life Support) and incorporates in the curriculum, among other subjects, lifesaving heart massage and resuscitation for heart failure. The course material is in English but the volunteers learn basic Hebrew to allow communication inside the ambulance. Recruiting the volunteers Maarten saw a poster at the University of Amsterdam with details regarding the program. As Maarten explains, "the program was connected to my studies, and I always wanted to travel to Israel." Roni van Buuren (19) heard about the program from her grandmother who is a contributor to MDA for many years. She was accepted this year to medical school and looked for a good way to take advantage of the time before beginning med-school. "I visited Israel a number of times in the past but this way is really fantastic. I have an opportunity to meet so many different people". She says proudly, "When I sit in an ambulance I really feel that I am contributing. "Like Maarten she has been in Israel for a month. "The impression in Holland is that in Israel there is nothing but wars. But the truth is so different." "Magen David Adom recruits many volunteers from the Arab minority", says Maarten. Roni adds that "the cooperation between Arab and Jew can be found in commercial enterprises, buses and hospitals". Dalia Kuchisky (19) is a student from the United States and is a member of Maarten and Roni's group. She plans on immigrating to Israel but she is still completing her studies in the United States. "I heard about the program by chance and the idea attracted me; to help people and to get to know Israel in a different way. If you are looking for an apartment, a day in the ambulance can help you as we get to every corner possible" says Dalia with a wide smile across her face. The three volunteers agree. Israeli society is more open and pleasant than what they expected. "Today we transported an elderly woman to the hospital who was unable to speak. Her two daughters waited for us next to her house. While their mother was still in bed the two daughters gave us food and drink. But this incident is not unusual and everywhere we go we are accepted and received pleasantly." Friends of Magen David Adom abroad MDA enjoys the support of friendship organizations abroad. MDA Holland was founded in 1981 by Christian friends of ICN. The former CEO of that organization, Jacob van der Giessen heard during a trip to Israel that MDA was in need of financial support. Willem van Baalen, the secretary and a member of the board from the very beginning remembers that "we founded the organization whose goal was to raise funds and we requested from Ronny Naftaniel, who was the head of the organization until 2006, to join the organization in order to allow "Jewish blood" to flow through its veins." MDA Holland subsidizes many projects including building, renovation and maintenance of MDA stations throughout Israel. Marjan Sprecher, the current head of the board of MDA Holland, comments that "all the money is transferred directly to Israel after subtracting advertising and management costs only. We send containers of surgical gloves, medical equipment such as defibrillators, and materials to the blood bank. The money comes from contributions and from estates. Presently there are three new MDA stations being built: in the Arab village of Fureidis, in Hatzor Haglilit and in Elad. It is not easy to receive money these days because of the economic situation but we still keep our obligations" Sprecher adds that " it is difficult to find new contributors so a few years ago we started to promote the youth volunteer program in "memory of Yochai Porat" in order to recruit the younger generation to activities for the benefit of MDA and we have been quite successful. *This is an excerpt from an article written by Joanne Nihom 7
Young Swedish Doctors Visit MDA Tel Aviv Regional Station - September 16th, 2014 A group of young Swedish doctors visited the MDA Regional station in Tel Aviv on Monday morning, September 16th. The group consisted of both Jewish and non-jewish doctors and for most of them this was the first time in Israel. During the visit they got to meet representatives from Magen David Adom and learn about the organization. The visit included an explanation of what MDA s mission is, its history and structure. They also got to learn how MDA deals with Mass Casualty Incidents (MCIs), how the blood service work, and what different protocols Magen David Adom uses. Benjamin Flam, one of the visiting doctors and an alumnus of the Yochai Porat Z"l Overseas Volunteer Program, said that all the doctors highly appreciated the visit and they all learnt many new things and got a better understanding of what Magen David Adom does. The Swedish doctors also got to see the dispatch center where the calls are received and relayed to the ambulance teams and first responders on the field. The visit ended with an explanation of the Mobile Intensive Care unit (MICU) and the equipment Magen David Adom uses during calls and treatment of patients. MDA hopes this visit will lead to more co-operations between Sweden's doctors and Magen David Adom in Israel. 8
Course No. 122 of MDA Overseas Volunteers Program Last week a new course of the Magen David Adom Overseas Volunteers Program was opened. The 43 participants of the course came from the United States, Canada, Mexico, Panama, Holland, France and Australia. A few of them are Israeli citizens, while for the others - this is the very first visit in the holy land. They arrived at the program filled with motivation and willing to help and give back to the Israeli society. They want to get to know all the kinds of societies living in Israel. Most of the new participants are planning to study medicine, and are interested to see how the health system in Israel works and to take a part in it. The course participants are looking forward to start their volunteering in the different stations around the country and to implement the materiel they've studied during the course. Giving is an integral part of the program - but the experience of the new skills and the good feeling of volunteering - is enriching and gives a whole new point of view. One of the course participants, Gina from Australia is sharing: the course started less than a week ago and we've already studied so much. I was told that in the field I will study even more. The course is interesting and enriching and the program staff is caring and taking care for all our needs. Although the course is really intense, the experience, the practicing, and the new friendship I've made - are making the course so meaningful for me. i'm looking forward to start volunteering and ready for a special experience that might even change my life! 9