Los Angeles Hatzolah Member Receives Medal For Heroism Amid Heavy Gunfire

A Hatzolah of Los Angeles member had the prestigious Medal of Valor bestowed on him by the California Emergency Medical Services Authority (EMSA) for an act of heroism in the face of gunfire that saved the lives of multiple people.

As previously reported on YWN, Los Angeles Hatzolah members came under fire on Shabbos, April 29, 2022, as they arrived to treat an unresponsive patient outside a shul on Ventura Blvd. in Tarzana.

As one of the Hatzolah members, Menachem Boganim, an aspiring nurse practitioner, arrived with a partner at the scene, heavy gunfire erupted from a nearby robbery at a marijuana dispensary that resulted in a man’s death.

Rather than fleeing, Menachem jumped out of his vehicle and ran into the line of gunfire, using his body to shield children who were playing in the area. When possible, he moved everyone inside the shul and formed a barricade, ensuring that any violent individuals nearby would be unable to enter and harm the children and other mispalelim at the Shul.

Then, once the scene was secured by the LAPD, Menachem exited the shul and immediately rendered aid to the unresponsive patient for whom he had arrived.

Ar just 23-years-old, Menachem is believed to be the youngest person to have ever received the EMSA Medal of Valor.

The medal “recognizes an individual for a meritorious act or service within EMS,” according to the EMSA. “This award also recognizes an EMT for an act that is above and beyond the call of duty in the course of a particular EMS emergency or event.”