מד''א

The moonlight shining through the window creates a weak glow in the room. A still body is wrapped in a blanket and lying on a bare bed, rhythmic breathing the only movement. The sounds of the city at night can be faintly heard when not obscured by the muffled sounds of the television in the next room.

Suddenly, the high-pitched electronic ring of the phone cuts through the darkness. The man on the bed jumps slightly, his eyes shooting open to identify the noise that jolted him from sleep and coming to rest on the still-ringing phone on the desk. He throws off the blanket and gets to his feet in one fluid motion. In two steps he's at the phone, picking it up from its cradle and putting it to his ear.

A woman's voice on the other end says one word, the only sound in the sudden silence which has returned to the room: "Neseeyah".

One of the characteristics of Israel is a strong sense of community. Part of this comes from the cohesiveness of the Jewish community, and part of it also is related to the socialist-founding of the state of Israel. The original immigrants to Israel created kibbutzes, which are similar to communes; everyone works for the whole community, and in return they are provided with food and housing.

This type of mentality has persisted throughout the existance of Israel. This developed not only from Israel's kibbutznik roots, but also from a desire for the Jews in the diaspora to be a part of Israel. There are many volunteer programs in Israel, allowing young and old Jews from all over the world to contribute to Israeli and Jewish society.

Because Israel is such a small country and one without large amounts of it's own natural resources, it relies heavily on outside assistance. The volunteering is an intregal part of Israeli society: high school students are required to participate in community-oriented programs, such as youth movements or volunteer programs. Even the Israeli Defense Force (IDF) is primarilty volunteers, as all 18-20 year olds are required to serve.

Another of the main volunteer programs is Magen David Adom, the Israeli version of the Red Cross. Magen David Adom (MDA, מד''א; pronounced MaDA) is staffed primarily by volunteers, from the ambulance drivers to the Intensive Care Unit. A special program with MDA allows for overseas volunteers to volunteer with MDA, training people to work within MDA protocols and work on ambulances. I thought it would be something new and interesting to do, not to mention it ties in with my work on emergency mental health, so I signed up.

The program started with nine day training in Jerusalem at a youth hostel. The training involved basic first aid, adult and child CPR, and how to use ambulance equipment. We also covered a lot of Hebrew vocabulary, both conditions and equipment. Training was intense; most days went from 8:30a until 9:00pm, with one-hour breaks for lunch and dinner.

It was exhausting but very informative. My past experience as a lifeguard made things much easier, as some of the material wasn't brand new. The students consisted of college-age students from all over the world: my class had a handful of Australians and Brits, some Americans, a German, and a Canadian. The other class had people from Sweden, South America, and other parts of Europe. It's quite cool to see Jews from all over the world (as the program is aimed primarily at diaspora Jews) come together to work for a common cause, one that is devoid of politics...well, as much as anything in Israeli can be devoid of politics.

The training also consisted of programs outside the realms of emergency medical care: we had a lecture on Halachic law (Jewish law) says about current medical ethics, we had a trip to Har Herzl and the Herzl museum, and had free time to socialize and get to know each other. All in all it was a good training, though long and confining; we weren't allowed to leave the youth hostel for nine days except on group trips, so cabin fever started to set in after awhile.

And so, for the past month, that's what I've been doing. About three shifts a week I'm on an ambulance, running around Tel Aviv and providing emergency medical care when needed. Sometimes I work morning, sometimes afternoons, sometimes the overnight shift. It's honestly a lot less glamourous than "ER" makes it out to be, but I'm still learning a lot about emergency services and getting to practice my Hebrew. It's a different aspect of trauma than what I'm used to, more about physical trauma and immediate response.

So that's the latest update. Otherwise, things are going well. Research is slow (as always), Hebrew classes are going well as are Israeli Sign Classes. The weather is warming up, being hot during the day but cold at night; summer is on its way. I put up some new photos of Har Herzl, the snow in Jerusalem, and some various photos of Tel Aviv. I'm also scheduled to go to Tunisia at the end of April for a week for a Fulbright conference and some traveling, so that will be something new and different. This coming weekend is Purim, which is like Jewish Halloween, so looking forward to some parties and celebrating over the weekend (which then leads me right into Easter on Sunday).

Now to find a costume...