Israel Connections: United Hatzalah
Our relationship with Israel is precious to us at CBJ. Every few years, we choose an organization that touches our hearts and we create a deep connection involving learning, fundraising, relationships, and ultimately visiting in person.
This year at CBJ, we are supporting United Hatzalah, an organization that delivers free emergency medical response throughout Israel. On the second night of Chanukah (in 2021), we had the privilege of hearing from Eli Beer, who joined us to celebrate the holiday and to tell his story. United Hatzalah has responded to millions of calls, reaching people in under three minutes, using crowdsourcing technology, and responding on "ambucycles", which are far more efficient than traditional ambulances at reaching people in need. United Hatzalah expresses our Jewish values of saving lives, caring for those in need (during COVID, they have looked after Israel's Holocaust survivors), and bringing together volunteers from all backgrounds in Israel. Among the more than 6,500 volunteers, one can find religious and secular Jews, Muslims, Druze, Christians, and Bedouins.
