By Caitlin Looney

Town Crier Editorial Intern

Members of congregation Kol Emeth, Palo Alto, hosted a July 14 presentation by Lonny Loxenburg and Chaim Rasloski, Megan David Adom paramedics who came from Israel especially to make a presentation to Bay Area supporters.

MDA, a nongovernmental organization, is the Israeli equivalent of the Red Cross. It operates Israel’s national ambulance service and supplies blood and blood products throughout the country.

Due to the unrelenting violence in Israel, which has increased the burden on the MDA’s emergency response services, General Yochanan Gur, chairman of the MDA Executive Committee, is asking for additional support this year.

Between Sept. 29 and May 31, 2000, MDA responded to 989 terror attacks, treating 3,902 dead and wounded. A total of 4,022 ambulance runs were made in response to these terror attacks.

MDA deploys about 1,440 professional workers and 7,000 youth and adult volunteers. Rasloski started out as an MDA volunteer at the age of 15. “I would come home and take off my army uniform and put on my MDA uniform. Volunteering is infectious,” he said. Soon he was joined by his siblings and mother.

Rasloski stressed the dire need for funds to keep MDA an efficient, responsive and well-equipped organization, especially in light of recent events. “There are about 6.5 million residents in Israel,” he said, “and MDA responds to about 1,120 calls per day.”

The organization is stressing donations more than ever to support its national blood bank.

“The United States has a blood blank specifically for the military,” Rasloski said. “Israel has one national blood bank, which is MDA.”

Funds are needed to safely transport and process blood.

To support MDA or receive further information, call Chen Ben-Asher at (408) 252-2661.