Sharon Schmidt (center), director of American friends of Magen David Adom of Greater Philadlephia, with officers of the Jewish War Veterans, Garr-Greenstein Post 39. Schmidt was the keynote speaker at the JWV's special fall dinner earlier this month. With Schmidt are (from left) Ed Snyder, Ron Weinrob, Post Commander Bernie Friedenberg, Art Stern, Paul Stern, Harry Fishlow and Bruce Bogner. (Photo by Marilyn Kessler) More Photos on Page 9. Sharon Schmidt, Greater Philadelphia Area Director of American Friends of Magen David Adom, was the featured speaker at a special dinner held by the Jewish War Veterans, Garr-Greenstein Post 39, at Beth El Synagogue earlier this month.

Schmidt thanked the vets for their service to their country, as well as their support for Magen David Adom (MDA), Israel's second line of defense.

Post Commander Bernard Friedenberg commented, "G-d helps those who help themselves and G-d help us if we don't help Israel. That is why the members turned out in numbers to help save lives through Magen David Adom. Israelis are not just fighting for Israel, they are fighting for all Jews."

A short video entitled "Saving Lives in Israel" was shown. It included testimonials from Israelis whose lives were saved by MDA, live footage from war and terror attacks and the lifesaving role that MDA played in all of these horrific events. In addition, the video showed the many Emergency Medical Stations that American Friends of MDA is either building or refurbishing throughout Israel.

The largest station, currently underway, is the William H. Bloomberg MDA Jerusalem Station, named after the late father of Mayor Michael Bloomberg of New York. Mayor Bloomberg gave the lead gift for this facility, which will be the crown jewel in the MDA network of facilities, serving over one million people in Israel's largest and most visited city. The organization is still seeking donors to fund rooms in this Station. Schmidt also spoke about various ways to support this vital lifesaving organization including legacy gifts and funding a room in one of the Emergency Medical Stations.

American Friends of Magen David Adom (AFMDA) supports the life-saving efforts of Magen David Adom (MDA), Israel's only government-mandated ambulance and emergency medical responders, providing medical, disaster, ambulance and blood services. MDA is on alert, ready at a moment's notice to answer every call and save lives in Israel. Whatever the situation, MDA's famed first responders race to every incident, small or large, to provide cutting edge emergency medical services with unparalleled skill and compassion. They also travel to other countries when needed, offering their knowledge and expertise to help save lives.

A team of 1,600 professionals and 12,000 trained volunteers provide all of Israel's population with pre-hospital emergency medical needs 24/7. The MDA National Blood Services Center provides 100 percent of the blood requirements of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) and 97 percent of the blood needs of Israel's hospitals and the general population. .

"In order to maximize its mission of Saving Lives in Israel, American Friends of Magen David Adom is undertaking a great effort to facilitate and provide opportunities for American tourists to donate blood in Israel," said Schmidt. "There is no more meaningful way to help save the lives of all Israelis."

MDA's fleet of 800 MDA ambulances and Mobile Intensive Care Units travel over 9.75 million miles a year, taking care of more than 520,000 patients annually. MDA operates from over 100 Emergency Medical Stations and 11 dispatch stations in communities throughout Israel servicing the country's diverse population.

American Friends of Magen David Adom is looking for people in the South Jersey Shore area to become involved with its mission. For information, contact Sharon Schmidt, greater Philadelphia area director of AFMDA at 215-947- 7007 or sschmidt@afmda.org.