Fourteen other EMTs and paramedics also received recognition for service.
At a special event on Sunday night, August 21, Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich along with Magen David Adom Director-General Eli Bin, and MDA management, staff, and volunteers gathered to confer awards of excellence and commendation pins on MDA volunteers who acted quickly to save lives during a January 28 terror attack in the City of David.
MDA volunteer Nadav Weinberg, an IDF officer who neutralized the terrorist after he was shot himself, was a special honoree, alongside his brother, Boaz, also an MDA volunteer. Boaz treated his injured brother and father, saving their lives. Fourteen other EMTs and paramedics were also recognized at the event.
Boaz gave his brother and father initial medical treatment while at the same time reporting the incident to MDA’s 101 hotline. After MDA teams arrived at the scene, Nadav and Barak were transported to Shaare Zedek Medical Center.
At the ceremony, Boaz and Nadav were awarded Magen David Adom commendation pins in recognition of their heroism. Fourteen MDA volunteers, including EMTs, paramedics, and doctors who treated Nadav and his father — Dr. Tal Sa’ar, Baruch Weissman, Elron Zabatani, Moshe Shmueli, Yossi Kasuto, Yehoshua Shatrit, Yehudit Tanami, Dr. Yishai Ben Uri, Israel Kama, Eli Ben Hamo, Yehuda Zand, Zvi Ebo, Fadi Dekidek and Reuven Zoz — also received tokens of appreciation for their actions during the attack.
“The connection between the two brothers Boaz and Nadav is the story of all of Magen David Adom, our national emergency medical organization. It is based on volunteers from all denominations, from all sectors, from all creeds throughout the country, reflecting the beautiful togetherness of Israeli society,” said Smotrich.
“I salute you, on behalf of the government and the Knesset,” he told the honorees. “I salute your work in the name of the entire people of Israel. Thank you very much. And Nadav, you are a hero of Israel. Yet even within great heroic moments like yours, there are other heroes. Boaz Weinberg, your younger brother, was with you at that moment. He had previously been trained by MDA, and while staying coolheaded, he began to perform initial lifesaving measures on you. As it turns out, these actions saved your life and left us with a hero of your caliber.”
Barak Weinberg reflected on the way the experience had changed his family. “Before the terror attack, I used to ask myself if it was worth it for my two sons to volunteer in MDA, but after Nadav and I were injured, there was no longer a question,” said Weinberg. “This form of volunteering is truly the purest good. I have no other words.
“We are lucky to be a part of this pure goodness. When the incident occurred, both Nadav and I understood that the other was hurt, but I did not fully understand how severe Nadav’s injury was. When we arrived at the hospital within 18 minutes of the moment Nadav was hurt, I realized that if it had taken any longer, I’m not sure we would be here tonight. We can’t take for granted that the MDA team was there and acted during the attacks. It’s a completely singular service that they provide. Therefore, I came here tonight to ask everyone possible to lend support to MDA’s teams,” he said.
“Events like these give us a lot of encouragement to continue knowing that we are where we should be,” said Bin “We have wonderful volunteers and employees who do holy work. We are here today to celebrate a miracle for the Weinberg family, dear Barak, Nadav, and Boaz. I would like to thank our heroes — the volunteers and employees of MDA all over the country, who save lives every day, every hour.”
