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Minister of Agriculture (Bayit Yehudi) Uri Ariel and Magen David Adom Chief Eli Bin visited the MDA paramedic’s beis medrash as many refer to it, the hesder yeshiva run by Rabbi Sheinwald, Yeshivat Meir Harel in Ofakim.

The yeshiva recently began a unique course in cooperation with MDA, certifying talmidim as paramedics who will in the future serve in MDA. The program began in Meir Harel in Modi’in and continues in the yeshiva’s extension in Ofakim and Kiryat Ono.

On Tuesday, 10 Elul, the two arrived for the official visit as Bir escorted the cabinet minister along with senior commanders of the MDA Medical and Training Units as well as MDA’s Southern Command. IDF representatives were there as well along with a number of civilian officials.

Ariel used the visit to praise MDA and its operations, with a special emphasis on the unique hesder program. It was explained to Ariel that the medical training is done in three phases, bringing the talmidim to the level of an EMT, EMT 3 and then paramedic.

Rav Eliezer Sheinwald said “We are speaking about a beis medrash for paramedics that works in full partnership and cooperation with MDA and the IDF and additional courses are already in the works. The students, all MDA volunteers, study intensively six days weekly and during the evening hours and on Shabbos and Yomim Tovim they are involved in fulltime limud Torah”.

Bin pointed out the uniqueness of these students, explaining for one to be expected to the IDF paramedic program one must be on a very high standard, comparing it to the pilot training program. “You could have gone anywhere else but yet you decided to fight for a spot here in the paramedic program for the IDF and MDA”. Bin added the course takes place in Ofakim to give a chizuk to the periphery in both emergency medicine and limud Torah.

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)