United Hatzalah volunteers: Ordinary Israelis doing extraordinary things - opinion

It’s hard to describe what it’s been like here in Israel since Sukkot. The summer heat is still lingering, but the air itself seems different; lighter, gentler, almost joyful.

Twenty young men who emerged from the hellish dungeons of Gaza are now back in Israel. Even more remarkably, after two long years of neglect and abuse, many of them are strong enough to continue their recovery and rehabilitation from the comforts of their homes, surrounded by their families and friends.

Just one month ago, our entire nation eagerly watched in anticipation as these brave young men stepped out into the sunlight and into their families’ warm embrace. We continued our celebration as each hero made his way home, lining the streets with flags in hand, singing songs of joy, and dancing collectively. It is like an entire country, relaxed and breathing normally, after so much pain and anguish, after so much waiting. Now, we are collectively on the road to recovery.

There, among the crowds of well-wishers, was a sea of orange; our United Hatzalah volunteers who have been walking alongside these families every step of the way over the past 750 days. However, two families in particular have been on the minds and in the prayers of United Hatzalah over these past two years, and then some!

I will never forget the moment Tal Kupershtein hugged his son Bar again. Tal is one of our own, a United Hatzalah volunteer who was badly injured six years ago while rushing to save a little girl’s life. Since that day, he’s been confined to a wheelchair, but his spirit has never dimmed.

When Bar was kidnapped from the Nova music festival, where he was working as a security guard and medic to bring much needed money home to his family, it broke us all. Tal’s dedication and mission to fight to be reunited with his beloved son became a symbol for our entire organization. Throughout these horrific two years, we kept showing up, kept helping each other, and most importantly, kept praying for this happy ending.

So, when Tal got up from his chair to embrace his beloved son with open, outstretched arms, it was as if time stood still. It wasn’t just a family reunion; it was a nation reuniting with a lost soul and the fruition of two long years of prayers coming true before our very eyes.

United Hatzalah was also privileged to escort Evyatar David safely home from the Rabin Medical Center-Beilinson Campus in Petah Tikva to his home in Kfar Saba. Evyatar was also taken hostage from the Nova festival on October 7, 2023.

Evyatar’s father, Avishai, is one of our veteran paramedics who has helped save countless lives over the years. Even more impressively, Avishai has continued to respond to medical emergencies alongside other United Hatzalah responders in the Sharonim Branch over the past two years while his son was held captive in Gaza by Hamas terrorists.

When Bar and Evyatar were kidnapped, we promised their families what we promise every United Hatzalah family: “You won’t go through this alone.” So, when the Kuperstein and David families asked for United Hatzalah to take part in their homecoming, we showed up just like we promised.  Our volunteers danced around these special families, not just as medics, but as brothers and sisters in orange. That’s what being “wrapped in orange” really means.

I will forever remember that fateful Shabbat morning. Despite being Simchat Torah, the festival of rejoicing with the Torah, within minutes of the first sirens and news reports from the South, hundreds of our EMTs, paramedics, and doctors were already on standby, and many were even en route before the first order came in. They just ran to help anyone they could.

Despite the warnings and danger, many of them entered active combat zones under fire to treat the wounded and help evacuate the civilians from harm. United Hatzalah volunteers were among the first emergency medical personnel to arrive in the area. Some were injured. Three of our heroes never came home. Maor Shalom, Darawsha Awad, and Dolev Yehoud, all of blessed memory. Their names and bravery are forever in our hearts.

That day, I watched people I already knew to be heroes become superheroes. Our medical responders, together with our Psychotrauma and Crisis Response Unit, a one-of-a-kind group of mental health experts here in Israel, worked side-by-side, nonstop with one goal: to save lives. They treated the wounded and sat with people in their darkest moments, reminding them that they were not alone.

On that day, and for the last 750 days, we all learned the harsh lesson that sometimes saving a life isn’t only about medical equipment or training; it’s about listening, holding a hand, and helping someone breathe again.

Over these two years, our volunteers have been there with the hostage families, through sleepless nights, endless waiting, and now, these joyful homecomings. We’ve learned that these wounds don’t go away now that our people are free.

For Bar, Evyatar, and the many other released hostages, the road to recovery is a long one – but one that these brave men and women will walk surrounded by love; by their families, by their communities, and wrapped in orange by the over 8,000 volunteers of United Hatzalah who refuse to let them walk it alone.

We will also not allow ourselves to forget those who paid with their lives – the men and women of all ages who were cruelly taken from their families, communities and nation and will never be able to embrace their loved ones again. Those holy martyrs will forever be in our hearts and minds. We will continue to embrace their memories and their families for all time.

As I watched the countless videos of people who stood waving blue and white flags on the roadside, watching our orange convoy lead these brave young men home, I thought about how much our country has endured and how, despite all the hurt, there is just so much love here.

From the terror of October 7 to the fragile joy we are now experiencing, one thing has remained constant: the willingness of ordinary Israelis to do extraordinary things by running toward others in need. To rescue, to heal, and to comfort.

I would like to say that this quality is unique to United Hatzalah, but the truth is, it’s not. This is at the heart of what it means to be Jewish and what Israel is all about.

We can’t undo the pain, but we can carry each other through it. We can’t eradicate the darkness, but we can hold the light to make the darkness a little bit brighter.

That’s what this experience has shown us – and we know that tomorrow will hopefully be even brighter.