14 | JUNE 27 • 2024 
J
N

O

n the evening of May 
20, an important par-
lor event was held in 
Franklin, Michigan.
“
An Insider Briefing on Israel 
and Magen David Adom’s 
Response to Oct. 7” provided 
for pressing discussion about 
today’s climate for the Jewish 
community around the world 
as well as the role Magen David 
Adom (MDA) has played as 
Israel’s National Emergency 
Medical and Blood Services 
Organization.
The event was organized by 
American Friends of MDA 
(AFMDA), which helps provide 
funds and awareness for MDA. 
The event was a huge suc-
cess with nearly 50 attendees. 
Myrna and Joe Salzman of West 
Bloomfield generously commit-
ted to donating an ambulance 
in memory of Joe’s brother, 

Jerry Salzman. 
Special guests included 
Yaakov Katz, Israeli-American 
author, journalist and former 
editor-in-chief of the Jerusalem 
Post, and Aryeh Myers, senior 
paramedic and trainer for 
Magen David Adom. 
At these events, Katz focuses 
on the pivotal role MDA plays 
while also educating people 
about what’s happening in 
Israel, the conflict in Gaza 
and the different challenges 
the country faces on multiple 
fronts. 
He also talks about how all of 
this is impacting the Israel-U.S. 
relationship, security lessons 
and takeaways as well as topics 
surrounding the interconnectiv-
ity existing today between Israel 
and the Jews of the world. 
Myers detailed his experienc-
es as well as the experiences of 

MDA, which had emergency 
teams arriving first at the scene 
on Oct. 7 and who have been 
working on the frontlines ever 
since.
MDA
’s initial response was 
staggering. All 1,400 of MDA
’s 
ambulances were manned 
within the first hour of the war, 
which helped MDA evacuate 
1,000 casualties in the first 24 
hours. 
Also within 24 hours, MDA 

collected about 2,500 units of 
blood across the country, more 
than double the usual amount 
on a normal day. In the first 
week, MDA collected about a 
month’s supply of blood. 
Myers has several roles within 
MDA. With this sort of inci-
dent, his role initially was to 
deal with getting information 
out to the media. 
Later in the day on Oct. 7, 
Myers headed down south with 
three others in an ambulance, 
spending the night in Ashkelon, 
Ashdod and surrounding areas 
treating all sorts of different 
casualties, including evacuating 
a family of four (including a 
4-year-old and 2-year-old) all 
injured by a rocket that directly 
hit their apartment. 
On the way to the call, Myers 
and his crew came under rocket 
fire twice — hiding in a street 
shelter on one occasion and 
hiding under stairs for the 
other.
Myers says these parlor 
events help people feel connect-
ed to what’s happening in Israel. 
“
A lot of what people hear is 
through the media, which gives 
a distorted picture sometimes 
of what’s happening,
” he says. 
“Hearing that firsthand experi-
ence is important.
’
The support from AFMDA 
and outside donations has also 

Hearing It 
 Firsthand 

Magen David Adom provides 
insider briefing on Israel since Oct. 7.

DANNY SCHWARTZ SENIOR STAFF REPORTER

OUR COMMUNITY

Aryeh Myers, senior 
paramedic and 
trainer for Magen 
David Adom, speaks 
to those gathered.

Myrna and Joe Salzman of West 
Bloomfield generously committed 
to donating an ambulance in 
memory of Joe’s brother, Jerry 
Salzman.

