Paramus—This Tu B’shvat, students at Yavneh Academy filed into their Beit Midrash for a special lesson: To learn how American Friends of Magen David Adom (afmda.org) has been able to help MDA, Israel’s official ambulance service and national emergency medical response organization. Karen Stein, development executive for AFMDA, presented a kid-friendly interactive lecture, as has been done at day schools county-wide, to educate them about how MDA works. Stein explained that MDA ambulances respond to over 650,000 calls per year and that 17 MDA medical stations have been either built or renovated by Americans.
“MDA also provides 99% of the blood needed in Israel, 97% of the blood needed by hospitals, and 100% of blood used for the IDF,” said Stein. “And of the 1052 ambulances on the road in Israel, 578 are sponsored by American groups. They need to be replaced about every 7-10 years, and lifespans were shortened due to increased wear and tear during Operation Protective Edge. So we’re partnering with this community to buy a new ambulance.”
Students were engaged and involved in the video and in the discussion that followed. The film featured kids explaining to kids about Israel’s 101 emergency number, parallel to 911 in the US, and that when 101 is dialed their calls are answered with “Shalom, Magen David Adom.” They got a look inside an ambulance, learned what some of the equipment does, and about the term areyvut—the aspect of Jewish peoplehood concerning mutual responsibility. “I never knew we could help save lives so directly,” said one student. “This is very cool!” They also learned that MDA ambulances deliver hundreds of babies a year, and about their specialized yellow ambulances that are “like an ER on wheels.” Students became even more excited when it was announced that top-earning classes would get a Chopstix or sushi party as a gift from Bergen fund founders Elie and Esther Katz.
“I find it especially sweet to be launching this campaign on the sweet holiday of Tu B’shvat,” said Esther Katz, who, together with husband, Teaneck Deputy Mayor Elie. Y. Katz, created the Bergen County Magen David Adom Fund Drive in honor of Esther’s father Rabbi Joseph Feinstein’s 25th yahrzeit last July. “My dad was a chaplain in LA who had a legendary involvement with Jewish life at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center hospital,” said Esther. “He had every mezuzah put up, made a kosher kitchen, and regularly donated blood as much as possible, about four to five times per year. His dream was to make aliyah, but he passed away before he was able. We immediately knew that saving lives in Israel was the ideal way to honor him, and we really want to make this tremendous mitzvah fun for the kids.”
“Elie and Esther have championed this initiative and are driving it from a lay leader perspective. They love Israel and Elie is a former MDA volunteer, so he knows how critical MDA is to Israelis. They’re both passionate and dedicated leaders in Teaneck and we’re very fortunate to have them partnering with us,” said AFMDA’s Erik Levis. “This program is innovative in the way we’re encouraging and activating schools and students to participate and learn about MDA and its work. We’re looking forward to trying more of these kinds of campaigns to rally the community behind MDA’s lifesaving work.”
Lifelong Teaneck resident Elie Y. Katz said: “We have made MDA our cause, and we want to engage Bergen County and beyond in this effort. I know that Bergen County residents are passionate and proud in their support of Israel and will unite to heed this call to action to help us achieve our goal.” The fundraising efforts have raised approximately $85,000 of the $100,000 needed to sponsor an AFMDA ambulance. Katz added: “When you contribute to this cause, it’s your gift to the state of Israel.”
The Katz’s Bergen County Magen David Adom Fund Drive (Bergendonate.com) has been encouraged by the positive response and has decided to continue the drive to raise even more. In addition to Yavneh Academy, Yeshivat Noam, The Moriah School, Solomon Schechter, and Ben Porat Yosef have also gotten involved in the Bergen County Day School Magen David Adom Fund Drive for the months of January, February, and March 2015. Teaneck restaurant Shalom Bombay (www.shalombombay.com/indexTeaneck.htm) has also been a partner in the initiative, donating 50% of its sales from Friday orders in the month of January.
“MDA is a vital organization and I am proud to support their heroic efforts,” Katz said. “We’re going to keep doing this… as long as we’re able to do something, we’ll do something. That’s what MDA is all about.”
Payments can be made online at BergenDonate.com or checks can be mailed to:
AFMDA
172 West Englewood Ave
Teaneck, NJ 07666
Please put in check memo: BergenDonate.com
By Lisa Matkowsky
