The special holiday operation of the MDA ambulance driver
Yonatan Spitzer, MDA ambulance driver and EMT in the Jerusalem Region, is used to celebrating Sukkot every year. But this time, in the light of the Corona crisis, the lockdown and the wave of illness, he realized that the holiday would be different. Instead of bringing people to the sukkah - he brought the sukkah to them. Spitzer set up a mobile sukkah towed by an ambulance, and traveled around the country between the MDA stations to spread the holiday spirit to the medical staff.
In addition to being an EMT and ambulance driver, Spitzer is responsible for coordinating the Chabad activities for MDA during the holidays. For example, on Purim he distributes Mishloach Manot and on Passover he distributes Matzo. This year, due to the corona virus crisis, he realized that Sukkot would be different and he had the idea to bring the Sukka to them.
Spitzer built a mobile sukkah, attached to an ambulance trailer and embarked on a cross-Israel journey between the various MDA stations, where he maintained the Ministry of Health's guidelines for keeping distance and wearing masks. He brought joy to the employees with a holiday atmosphere, a bright sukkah, four species and refreshments at MDA Drive and Test complexes in the Jerusalem area, in the center of the country and in the south, and last week travelled between the MDA station in the north. So far, hundreds of MDA employees have been visited by the mobile sukkah.
On the project and the reactions, he said: "MDA employees and volunteers are very happy and excited to see the sukkah. Many of them felt that they lacked a holiday atmosphere due to the workload. For me this is a very big mission. It makes everyone happy and brings all the employees and volunteers together. Even on the road drivers are beeping at me and smiling, as they see the sukkah attached to an ambulance. It's something very special for everyone. "
MDA Director General, Eli Bin: "Between operating the "Drive and Test" complexes, treating and evacuating Corona patients to hospitals, performing home samples for the Corona virus, treating emergency calls and routine MDA activities, we are happy about the opportunity given to us and the welcome initiative to stop for a moment to breathe the holiday spirit and smile. We all hope that the corona crisis will pass soon and that next holiday we will celebrate its end. On behalf of the MDA organization, the workers and volunteers would like to congratulate the citizens of Israel on a happy holiday and good health. "
