A 97-year-old man was struck as he was crossing the street after leaving shul on shabbos near the Great Jerusalem Synagogue. A passing vehicle struck and injured the man seriously.

Ichud Hatzalah paramedic Aryeh Jaffe was celebrating his shabbos chosson in the shul and he ran out immediately to begin treating the elderly victim.

“I just got off the bima when I heard the call and immediately ran out” explains Jaffe. He explains there was a crowd around the man and a great deal of hysteria as the passersby realized the victim was seriously injured.

“I began CPR while calling for family members who were there; also EMTs began treating the man. They ran and brought equipment from the shul. A paramedic ambulance arrived on the scene as well and the victim was transported to the trauma unit of Hadassah Ein Kerem Hospital”.

Back in shul, davening continued as mazel tov wishes were extended to Aryeh and his kallah while he was outside trying to save the elderly man’s life.

Aryeh recently received a service award from Ichud Hatzalah at the organization’s Sukkos concert in the Jerusalem Theater. Jaffe is planning to relocate to the north, where is going to attend medical school. He plans to continue responding to calls and Ichud assigned him a new and heavier motorcycle, with a larger engine, to permit him to use it on the highway from the north to the capital, replacing the smaller units generally given out to EMTs and paramedics which are suitable for response in an urban setting but not for highway driving.

Now the budding young physician-to-be has wheels to the north and he may respond to calls during his travels.

Tragically, YWN-ISRAEL has learned the victim was niftar in the hospital.

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)