When Susan and Allyn Kramer sponsored a Mobile Intensive Care Unit ambulance in Israel through American Friends of Magen David Adom ten years ago, they intended to save lives in Israel. So, when they received a call asking if the ambulance they had donated could be repurposed to save lives in Syria, it was a bit of a surprise. Yet, the Kramers immediately agreed, knowing Israel supports sending the ambulance to southern Syria for the Druze who are suffering immensely and have deep ties to their community in Israel, including many of whom are medics with MDA. “We were very happy to use it for that purpose,” shared Susan, “so it could still have life in it, literally!” Allyn agreed and said that the reciprocal relationship between the Druze and the Jewish community in Israel brought great meaning to this effort.
When the Kramers first dedicated their ambulance, they were excited to include their children, grandchildren, and the entire Dallas Jewish community in celebrating the vehicle’s lifesaving mission. Susan recalled, “Our rabbi blessed us and blessed the ambulance, and it was taken around to schools and synagogues so that all the children could see it. It was very meaningful for all of us.” Now, their friends, family, and community are thrilled to know that the very ambulance they sent off all those years ago will continue to make a difference.
Since then, the Kramers have continued to be involved with AFMDA in supporting innovative initiatives in Israel, including the Marcus National Blood Services Center, a cutting-edge fortified facility that collects, processes, and distributes blood donations for hospitals and the IDF while also housing a human milk bank and a command and control center for the national emergency services system. Supporting the Marcus Center has brought the Kramers immense pride and joy and has kept them close to Magen David Adom’s ongoing work. “MDA is in the business of saving lives,” they stated. The Kramers even attended the opening of the Marcus Center and were impressed by its state-of-the-art underground operations, protected from missile, chemical, and biological attack, as well as earthquakes.
All told, five ambulances from AFMDA sponsorships were repurposed for this effort, including the Kramers’, and were handed to the Druze community in southern Syria by members of the Druze community in Israel, who also provided basic training on the safe use of the ambulance and medical equipment. “This is a very important mission to assist the Druze in Syria. We held several courses for Syrian EMTs who came here and explained to them how to provide care in an ambulance,” shared Senior MDA EMTs Samer Safadi and Assam Masoud, who trained the Druze teams in southern Syria. “We are very happy to take part in this important mission — to help our brothers, our families who are in southern Syria and in all the Druze villages. This is a very moving event. Thank you to everyone who donated and helped save lives.”
As proud Jewish Americans, and for Susan, whose family was forced to flee Vienna for their lives in 1939, the Kramers place enormous value on being able to contribute to helping Israel through the lifesaving work of MDA. For them, this opportunity was the chance to live out their values of saving lives and making the world a better place. “It’s part of being a light unto the world,” said Susan. Thanks to their decades of support for MDA, their ongoing work in sharing AFMDA with their community, and the re-purposing of their ambulance, the Kramers themselves are also indeed a light unto the world.
