MDA israel

Motke Vizel Z"L, Holocaust Survivor and oldest Magen David Adom volunteer, passed away at his home in Jerusalem over the weekend at the age of 94. Motke leaves a wife, two children, eight grandchildren and twelve great-grandchildren. 

Motke, who was born in 1929 in Transylvania, survived the Holocaust, after his five brothers and sisters were murdered in Auschwitz. At the age of 15 he attacked an SS officer, miraculously avoiding punishment and surviving. He moved to the Land of Israel in 1946, married and raised a family. Vizel was the chairman of the Former Nazi Prisoners Association in Jerusalem, and lit a ceremonial torch in Yad Vashem at the State opening of Israel's Holocaust Memorial Day in 2007. He served as a logistics officer in the IDF, and from 1988 until very recently he volunteered at the logistics center in the MDA station in Jerusalem. When asked about his volunteering he said, "I was a pensioner and came across the MDA Jerusalem logistics center, which is where I started to get to know all about MDA and its people. In my eyes, MDA is one the most important and social organizations in the country. Wherever I go, I'm always proud to present myself as someone from Magen David Adom." 

"I was shocked and truly saddened to hear of Motke's passing," said Boaz Elinson, MDA Jerusalem's logistics manager. "He was like a second father to me. I accompanied him for 35 years in MDA, and was well loved in the station. He knew what needed doing and how to do it, and always with a smile on his face and with the will to help another person. We always heard stories of heroism and history from him. It was fascinating. Just a few hours before he died, I had the privilege of presenting him with a Passover gift from MDA, and he smiled and thanked me. This is a huge loss for me and for the station." 

"Motke's inspiring life story touched us all and made us proud of him," said MDA Director General Eli Bin. "We are proud of everything he gave the Jewish people, in his values and legacy - values, giving to others, and love. We are saddened by the passing of the elder statesman of MDA's volunteers, a dear and generous man, who up until his last moments gave to others. May his memory be a blessing."