Standing Watch at the Western Wall
As tens of thousands of worshippers from across Israel and around the world gathered at Jerusalem's Western Wall to observe Tisha B'Av, Magen David Adom teams stood ready, ensuring that one of the Jewish people's most sacred days remained a safe one.
On Tisha B'Av, the Jewish world pauses.
Families, visitors, soldiers, children, and elderly worshippers travel from every corner of Israel, and from communities across the globe,to stand together at the Western Wall, mourning the destruction of the First and Second Temples while praying for hope, unity, and peace.
Long before the first worshippers arrived, Magen David Adom had already begun preparing.
Ambulances, Mobile Intensive Care Units (MICUs), Medicycle responders, first aid providers, paramedics, EMTs, and volunteers were strategically deployed throughout the Western Wall Explanade and surrounding areas, ready to respond the moment someone needed help.
Among them was Abigail Nidam, an MDA Youth first aid volunteer.
"My shift was challenging because of the fast," she said. "But it was also incredibly rewarding. Being at the Western Wall on such an important day while being there to help people made it all worthwhile."
Throughout the 25-hour fast, MDA teams treated worshippers experiencing dehydration, weakness, dizziness, fainting, and other heat-related illnesses brought on by the combination of fasting and Jerusalem's summer temperatures. Most patients were treated on site, while those requiring further care were safely transported to nearby hospitals.
For Abigail, however, the day was about much more than medicine. "There were so many special moments," she recalled. "Hearing thousands of people singing and praying together was incredibly moving. Despite the heat and the difficulty of the fast, people still came. You could see how meaningful it was for them to be there."
She also witnessed something that stayed with her throughout the day.
"Even after we treated people who had fainted or become weak, many of them found it difficult to break such an important fast," she said. "It showed just how much this day means to them."
Behind the scenes, MDA's operation was carefully coordinated to ensure that no one would be left without medical care.
"The organization was incredible," Abigail said. "Every detail was planned so that no one would be left without treatment, assistance, or the equipment they needed."
As prayers filled the ancient stones of Jerusalem, MDA teams quietly fulfilled another mission: ensuring that everyone, from lifelong Jerusalem residents to visitors experiencing the Western Wall for the very first time,could gather safely on one of Judaism's most meaningful days.
"It felt like a real privilege to be there," Abigail reflected. "I hope we'll be back again next year, doing everything we can so people feel safe and know that if they need us, we're there. Their smiles and gratitude at the end make it all worthwhile."
