A Potomac couple and their family members gathered at B’nai Israel Congregation in Rockville on Aug. 4 to dedicate a life support ambulance that they sponsored through Magen David Adom, Israel’s national medical and emergency services system.
Greg Friedman and his wife Harriet, who said they are longtime supporters of Israel, contacted Dawn Saidel, the associate director of major gifts for American Friends of Magen David Adom, to see how they could help in the wake of Oct. 7. This is the third ambulance the Friedmans have sponsored.
“After Oct. 7, we felt compelled to do something, on behalf of Harriet, myself and our children and grandchildren, to help the people of Israel, whether they be Jews, Muslims, Christians, people of all hues, colors and backgrounds,” Greg Friedman said. “We thought this was an appropriate way to express our support.”
Magen David Adom, a nonprofit organization, is the primary provider of emergency services and manages the blood supply in Israel, Greg Friedman said. Ambulances are one of Israel’s most urgent needs as so many emergency service vehicles were kept longer than their 10-year lifespan due to the pause in production during the pandemic, according to Saidel.
The ambulances weather rough Israeli terrain and frequent calls for everything from terrorism to car accidents to anxiety attacks. In 2023, Saidel said MDA’s dispatch center received 3.3 million calls.
“We feel very strongly for the people of Israel,” Harriet Friedman said. “I think it’s in our DNA. Our families, my family and my husband’s family, have always been supportive of Israel and feel strongly about our Judaism. We feel it’s our ancestral homeland.”
MDA, which operates in the West Bank, also responds to disasters around the world alongside the Red Cross movement and assists anyone in need regardless of religion or national origin.
The Friedmans’ donation will send one life support ambulance to Israel by boat. MDA gives donors the option of seeing the ambulance before it is shipped overseas to the area of highest need in Israel, which they chose to do.
The family got to see the life support ambulance on Aug. 4 during the dedication. At the event, the nearly 60 attendees heard from Dr. Larry Weiss, a physician who went to Israel after Oct. 7 to volunteer with MDA; Rabbi Michael J. Safra of B’nai Israel; Saidel; Greg Friedman and his granddaughter, Shayna, who left to serve as a lone soldier in the Israel Defense Forces shortly after.
“Whether it’s a heart attack, birth of a baby, car accident or terror attack, highly-trained crews arrive on scene with their medical expertise ready to save lives, regardless of the person’s background,” Saidel said at the event. “Like the melting pot that comprises Israel’s population, MDA’s team is also a mix of Jews, Arabs, Druze, Christians, all coming together for the greater good.”
She thanked the Friedmans for their donation on behalf of the more than 35,000 paramedics, EMTs and volunteers of MDA and the people of Israel who will benefit from the emergency services.
“They are an incredible family,” said Saidel, who has worked closely with the Friedmans since the couple first contacted her in October.
Greg Friedman said giving back to the community is important to him.
“We believe in tikkun olam; Harriet and I got that from our parents and grandparents, and hopefully we pass it on to our children and to our children’s children,” Greg Friedman said.
