Tu B’Av love stories: three couples who love MDA almost as much as they love each other.
Sometimes volunteering at Magen David Adom instills more than a sense of helping others and doing good deeds. Sometimes love blooms among volunteers. In honor of Tu B’Av, the Jewish holiday dedicated to love, below are three couples’ stories for whom MDA holds a special place in their hearts.
Eden and Hila Gigi met 14 years ago as MDA youth volunteers. Both continue to work for MDA.
Eden and Hila Gigi are twenty-nine-year-olds who met when they participated in a MDA youth volunteer course when they were both 15. The two kept in touch after the course and fell in love while attending a party hosted by a mutual friend whom they also knew from volunteering at MDA. The couple, who now has a child, lives in Elifelet, a moshav in northern Israel near Rosh Pina, and they continue to work to support MDA. Eden is a volunteer coordinator, responsible for volunteer medics out in the field, and Hila works in MDA’s Marcus National Blood Center.
“We are happy that our love grew through MDA and our work in the organization,” said the Gigis. “MDA gave us the most beautiful thing there is, love, and we hope to give back through our work.”
Noam and Shir Levy met at MDA and were married four months ago. They live and serve in Israel’s embattled north.
Noam and Shir Levy’s love story began during a shift at the MDA station in Nahariya. Noam knew that Shir would be working during certain shift, so he made sure to work the same shift, and the rest is history. The couple married four months ago and continues to save lives.
Noam, 25, is a senior EMT at the MDA station in Carmiel. Shir, 24, began as a youth volunteer, went on to volunteer for MDA during her national service, and is now a volunteer EMT at MDA’s station in Nahariya where the couple lives.
“Life is surprising,” remarked the Levys, “you can find love in a place and situation you never dreamed.”
“We thank MDA for bringing us together and are happy to save lives, especially since we are doing it together.”
EMTs Ilana and Eldad Shaked are a married couple who operate MDA’s intensive care bus together.
Ilana Shaked has been volunteering with MDA for 36 years and after she and Eldad were married 31 years ago, she inspired him to join MDA as well. They have been volunteering together ever since.
Now, Ilana, 65, and Eldad, 67, live in Sha’are Tikva, where they operate and maintain MDA’s intensive care bus together. Through their work on the intensive care bus, the couple oversaw thousands of COVID vaccines being administered throughout the height of the coronavirus pandemic. On October 7, the Shakeds were dispatched to southern Israel where they evacuated and saved the lives of dozens of injured people.
“There is nothing more satisfying than volunteering and saving lives,” said the Shakeds, “especially since we do it together with great love for helping others and for each other.”
