As Mother’s Day approaches, Israel’s national emergency medical service is highlighting the role of mothers among its staff and volunteers, many of whom have been working under wartime conditions while raising families.
Magen David Adom, or MDA, operates nationwide with more than 39,000 staff members and volunteers. Since the Oct. 7, 2023 and the war that followed, its teams have responded to mass casualty incidents, rocket fire and other emergencies across the country.
Among them are mothers serving as paramedics, ambulance drivers and managers, often balancing irregular shifts and high-risk conditions with childcare and family responsibilities.
Orit Ohana, an ambulance driver and paramedic from the Jordan Valley, is also a reservist in the military’s Home Front Command, which handles civilian emergency preparedness. A biology teacher, mother of seven and grandmother of five, she said she was already a parent when she began volunteering with MDA.
On Oct. 7, Ohana drove south to treat the wounded and later spent three months serving as a medic along Israel’s northern border.
“I’ve always seen myself as a mother first,” she said. “I carry that with me into my work, the way I treat people.”
Ohana said balancing family life and emergency work has been difficult at times, particularly during the war, but added that her children have come to understand her role. Three of them have gone on to volunteer with MDA.
Avigail Danino, a paramedic from Beit Shemesh, was among the first responders to a deadly attack in her community. She is part of a growing number of young parents working in emergency services while their spouses serve in reserve military duty.
“For the past few years, my husband has been on reserve duty on and off,” she said. “When I’m on shift or on call, I rely on my parents to help with my son.”
Danino said the schedule can mean missing time at home, but she tries to focus on her work when on duty and her family when off shift.
Orianne Lucatz, 42, a regional manager in central Israel, has worked with MDA for more than two decades. A single mother of two, she said her daughters have grown up around her work in emergency medicine.
“They understand the responsibility,” she said. “They’re proud of it.”
MDA’s chief paramedic, Shafir Botner, said the organization has tried to accommodate staff with flexible working arrangements during the war, though operational demands remain high.
“Their contribution, especially in times of war, is significant,” he said.
MDA was established in 1930 and serves as Israel’s primary provider of pre-hospital emergency medical care.
First published: 19:04, 05.03.26