New blood donation record set in Israel

Trend of Americans donating blood in Jewish state takes another huge leap forward as American Friends of Magen David Adom hosts two blood drives on one day, helping Israeli emergency service collect additional 127 units of blood

Reuters | Published: 11.05.09, 08:09

The trend of Americans donating blood in Israel took another huge leap forward last week as American Friends of Magen David Adom (AFMDA) hosted two blood drives on one day, helping Magen David Adom collect an additional 127 units of blood, surpassing the record total for 2008, and setting a new record for Americans donating blood in Israel.

So far in 2009, AFMDA has arranged blood drives that have brought 1,628 blood donors to MDA, more than in all of 2008. With another several blood drives planned so far this year, AFMDA stands on the verge of helping to recruit far more than 2000 donors to MDA.

Last week’s blood drives took place at the Inbal Hotel in Jerusalem in conjunction with the Jewish Agency Board of Governors, and at the campus of the Nevey Yerushalayim seminary in Jerusalem in conjunction with Michlelet Esther.

Jewish Agency Board of Governors participants have now become accustom to donating blood during their regular Jerusalem meetings and several of the participants were return donors.

Rabbi Vernon Kurtz of Chicago’s North Suburban Synagogue Beth El noted, “Being a regular blood donor and an active Zionist, it is especially meaningful to be able to donate blood in Israel where one has a very tangible sense of the special urgency sometimes needed to save lives.”

As the Jewish Agency delegates were returning to their meetings, the Nevey Yerushalayim blood drive was just getting busy. In total, 108 units of blood were collected, marking the largest and most successful blood drive ever organized there.

Even with extra MDA staff, extra beds and extra hours, the familiar and good natured atmosphere of dozens of young women waiting their turns patiently was pervasive.

Michlelet Esther student, Ari Friedman, from Los Angeles, coordinated and organized the event with a team of volunteers that paid attention to every detail. Among the 108 donors, Ari Friedman, Bella Gluck from Brooklyn, NY and Leah Gottfried from Los Angeles were the 1,600th, 1,601st and 1,602nd donors for the year, matching the 2008 total, beating that record and setting a new record for 2009.

Heroic role in rescuing wounded

American Friends of Magen David Adom – ARMDI is the authorized organization supporting the life saving efforts of MDA in Israel and representing Magen David Adom in the United States.

Magen David Adom (MDA) is Israel’s only government-mandated ambulance and emergency medical responders, serving as the nation’s second line of defense with medical, disaster, ambulance and blood services.

Thanks to AFMDA/ARMDI supporters, more than 900 MDA ambulances and Mobile Intensive Care Units are on call 24/7, operating from over 100 Emergency Medical Stations and 11 dispatch stations throughout Israel, logging more than 6.75 million miles and taking care of more than 700,000 patients annually.

Acclaimed for their heroic role in rescuing the wounded, coordinating activities with the Israel Defense Forces and Home Front Command and raising morale in Israel’s north during the Second Lebanon War, MDA also provides 97% of Israel’s blood needs and has launched the MDA Israel Cord Blood Bank.

For more information about opportunities for Americans to donate blood in Israel through AFMDA, groups and individuals, please contact Jonathan Feldstein at [email protected] or 972-57-761-4220.