In a moving ceremony held this week (Sunday) at MDA’s headquarters in Ramla, a mobile intensive care unit MICU and five new ambulances dedicated to the memory of MDA volunteers who fell during the “Iron Swords” war were inaugurated. An anonymous donor made the generous donation with the assistance of Israeli Friends Association of MDA. Each ambulance and MICU has the name of a fallen volunteer inscribed on it to commemorate their memory and continue the life-saving legacy they lived by. The ceremony, led by MDA volunteer Miri Bohadana, was attended by the bereaved families.

These six ambulances join 29 ambulances donated in recent months, each commemorating one of the 29 MDA employees and volunteers who fell, totaling 35 ambulances dedicated to the memory of 35 MDA staff and volunteers who have fallen from October 7th until today.

Here are the names of the MDA volunteers who fell and in whose memory the new ambulances or intensive care units were dedicated:

IDF soldier and MDA volunteer, Sergeant Major (Res.) Omer Smadga, 25, from Ganot Hadar, who fell in combat in the Netzarim corridor in the central Gaza Strip on June 20, 2024. Omer began his journey with MDA as a youth volunteer at the Netanya MDA station in 2015 and saved many lives during his shifts in ambulances. He also contributed significantly to COVID-19 testing activities and assisted Covid-positive patients during the pandemic that began in Israel in 2020.

MDA volunteer Michel Nisenbaum, 59, volunteered with MDA since 2015 in the Tzochar – Ofakim region. On the morning of October 7, he left his home to rescue his 4-year-old granddaughter who was at the Re’im base with her father, a career officer in the Gaza Division. After a few minutes, contact with Michel was lost. His family later saw a video released by Hamas showing his driver’s license, MDA volunteer ID, and other documents. Michel was initially listed as missing and later reported to have been abducted to Gaza. His body was recovered by IDF forces from Gaza.

IDF soldier and MDA trainee-volunteer, Staff Sergeant (Res.) Moti Rave, 37, fell in combat in Rafah on July 25, 2024, during an operational activity in the sector. The day after his death, before news of his death was released for publication, a ceremony was held for the completion of Stage 1 of MDA’s paramedic course, during which Moti was supposed to receive his certificate. During the ceremony, MDA received a request to send an ambulance to deliver the sad news to his family. MDA staff were dispatched immediately, and only later did his course mates and MDA teams in the South Hebron Hills realize they were going to his home and that Moti had fallen in battle. At the ambulance dedication ceremony, Moti’s family received his EMT course completion certificate.

MDA volunteer Lior Rudaeff, 61, from Nir Yitzhak, began his journey with MDA over 20 years ago. He fell on October 7 and his body was abducted to Gaza. Lior operated an MDA ambulance and provided medical services to residents of the kibbutz and surrounding communities. He was also a safety and traffic officer and a very prominent figure in the community. Over the years, he saved many lives, including treating casualties under fire on the day of Gilad Shalit’s kidnapping. Lior was a regular blood donor and saved many patients with his blood.

MDA volunteer Dolev Yehoud, 35, from Kibbutz Nir Oz, volunteered with MDA as an EMT in the Ofakim sector. On the morning of October 7, when the terrorist attack began and terrorists infiltrated the kibbutz, he left his family in the safe room to help and save lives under fire, and never returned. On June 3, 2024, it was reported that he was murdered on that fateful Sabbath, and his body was found in the kibbutz area after a complex identification process. On the ambulance bearing Dolev’s name, a photo of his sister Arbel, who was kidnapped and is still held by Hamas, was affixed.

IDF soldier and MDA volunteer, Sergeant Major (Res.) Neria Moshe Cohen, 26, volunteered as an emergency medical responder at MDA’s Givat Shmuel station for three years and was killed on June 4, 2024. Neria was an active reserve soldier in the IDF and fought in the “Iron Swords” war. Alongside his MDA volunteering, he was in the midst of his third year of medical studies at the University of Be’er Sheva.

MDA Deputy Director General of Community, Dr. Eli Jaffe: “Tragically, since the beginning of the war, we have lost an unimaginable number of 35 dedicated MDA staff and volunteers who sacrificed their lives while protecting others. Dear families, there are no words to comfort you or express our deep sorrow for the loss we share with you. Allow me to assure you that the memory of your loved ones will remain in our hearts forever, and we will continue their legacy through action, education, and commemoration. Anonymous donors, whose contribution precisely meets our needs, following the damage to many MDA ambulances in the terrorist attack, donated the ambulances we dedicate today in memory of the fallen. These ambulances will save lives in the names of the fallen who sanctified their lives for saving others. I wish to thank our generous donors, on my behalf, on behalf of MDA, and on behalf of all the people whose lives will be saved thanks to this generous donation.”

Chen Mahluf, daughter of Michel Nisenbaum: “I am the eldest daughter of Michel Nisenbaum, and on behalf of the bereaved families, I want to thank you for the donation of ambulances in their memory. I want to tell you a little about my father. His thoughtfulness towards others was his way of life. He always put himself second, as he did on October 7th. Dad went to retrieve his granddaughter Mika from the Gaza Division base where she was with her father who serves full-time. On the way, he encountered terrorists and contact was lost. Initially, Dad was listed as missing, then after about two weeks he was presumed abducted, and after 230 days, the sad news came. His body was found in a tunnel in Gaza. Today I know to say that he fought and saved people who were fleeing the Nova. Since his funeral, my sister and I have been telling our children what a hero their grandfather was, always thinking of others.”

MDA Director General, Eli Bin: “This generous donation of ambulances joins MDA’s fleet and will help save the lives of thousands of citizens in Israel. These ambulances are dedicated to the memory of MDA’s fallen, who in their death commanded us to save lives. Thanks to the donors for this significant contribution, their memory will be etched in our hearts forever.”