Heritage Florida Jewish News - Central Florida's Independent Jewish Voice

In a full-scale ceremony on Jan. 16, Rescuers Without Borders founder and president Arie Levy received the Global Impact Award in Tel Aviv, presented by Israeli President Reuven Rivlin at the Tel Aviv Museum of Art. Levi, one of eight recipients, was given this honor for his international work in the developing world and Tikkun Olam. Since 2016 Rescuers Without Borders has taken their Israeli knowhow, training local people to be medics, and established 16 first response emergency teams throughout the world in the Philippines, Mali, Zambia, Nepal, Guadeloupe and more. 

Last November, Rescuers Without Borders spokeswoman, Natalie Sopinsky, came to Orlando and shared, along with terrorist attack survivor Michal Salomon, about the work RWB has been doing in Judea and Samaria, and now throughout the world. The following is an update of what RWB has accomplished:

Medical aid mission in Gondar, Ethiopia

At the beginning of January 2019 RWB launched a medical aid mission in Gondar, Ethiopia. A group of 10 medical professionals flew to this community of 8,000 where 600+ people were treated by doctors, 800+ had their eyes tested, 60 young people were given first aid training and equipment. This is a community that had no emergency first aid nearby. 

Now, they do.

Life-saving defibrillators in the Shomron

On Jan 10, 2019, Rescuers Without Borders installed new life-saving defibrillators at the Barkan Industrial Park, scene of a serious terror attack in October 2018. The defibrillators are part of a package of 10 donated by the Robinson Family Foundation of Chicago.

Many recall the recent attack that occurred on Oct. 7 by an Arab employee at the Industrial Park who shot three people and killed two: Kim Levengond Yehezkel, 29, mother of a baby from Rosh Ha'ayin and Ziv Hajbi, 35, father of three, from Rishon Letzion. 

The Barkan Industrial Park has 8,000 workers, half Jewish and half Arab. This was considered the model of co-existence.

"This is a very difficult incident. Until now there have not been any security incidents here. For decades, industrial zones have served as a bridge of coexistence," Samaria Regional Council chairman Yossi Dagan said at the time (TimesOfIsrael).

And today, to the team delivering the defibrillator and medical equipment "You have proven professional and long-term work for years and we are happy about this partnership.

In October the Samaria police officer said that immediately after the attack, the need arose for medical equipment to be available at the industrial zone and Rescuers Without Borders, as usual, came though." In Samaria, there are over 320 volunteers with CPR kits, on call 24/7.

Since 2001, Rescuers Without Borders (aka Hatzalah Y"osh) has been the primary supporter of volunteer medics, paramedics and ambulance drivers throughout Judea and Samaria, working in full coordination with Magen David Adom in supplying defibrillators, medical equipment, ambulances and training. Today the organization has over 1,000 volunteers also in the areas around Jerusalem and the Old City.

Rescuers Without Borders is funded completely by private donations and is a registered 501 c 3 charitable organization.

To donate to Rescuers Without Borders, checks may be made out to Hatzalah Yehuda and Shomrom and mailed to 492 Cedar Lane #184, Teaneck, NJ 07666 or in Israel: Givon 108/3 P.B. 10053, Givat-Zeev, Israel 90917 or visit http://www.hatzalah.org.il/en/donate.