Eddie and Marianna Rabinovitch, of Miami, have long been supporters of Jewish and Israeli causes, but after the horrific October 7 attacks last year, they knew they wanted to make a major contribution to an organization aimed at saving lives.
Having supported Magen David Adom (MDA) for several years, they decided to do even more for Israel’s only national emergency services system. When they heard that MDA was building a new center for advanced emergency training, with a focus on training paramedics, they offered a matching grant in support. Through the match, they hoped not only to contribute, but to encourage others to support MDA.
Their plan worked, to say the least.
Announced at the recent AFMDA Miami Gala in December, their initiative created such strong fundraising momentum that more money was raised in one night than at any previous event in Miami.
“Magen David Adom is the best known and the most efficient organization for helping those in need, for saving lives in Israel. That’s why we decided to support it now,” said Eddie.
The Rabinovitches have a strong connection to the Jewish State. Although they were both born and raised in Chernivtsi, now in Ukraine, they immigrated to Israel separately as teens before meeting one another while studying at the Technion in Haifa. Their 1973 wedding took place shortly after the Yom Kippur War broke out. A week after that, Eddie was deployed to Gaza, where he served for four months.
After that challenging start, they went on to raise a family in Israel, instilling strong Jewish identity and pride in their three children, before eventually move to the U.S., where they manage and work together in ECI Technology, a New Jersey manufacturer of computer-based equipment for the semiconductor industry.
“We obviously love Israel. We lived in Israel for 20 years. Some of our best years were there. All our three kids are ‘sabras,’ native Israelis,” said Eddie.
According to Marianna, it was their love of Israel coupled with a family heritage of giving that led them to support the MDA training center.
“My family were Holocaust survivors. They worked very hard to assure that their kids got a good education, and we learned we have to work, and we have to help others. This is how I was raised,” she said.
Eddie and Marianna’s commitment to education and helping others makes the new MDA training center a perfect philanthropic fit for them. Housed in an underground, shielded facility in Ramla, the center will allow MDA to double the number of paramedics available, resulting in more lives saved.
With many hours of training beyond what is required of EMTs, trained paramedics have the skills to administer lifesaving medications and perform invasive procedures, such as intubations, for critically injured patients.
As part of its innovative educational tools, the center will feature multiple simulation rooms so that students can train for real-life scenarios such as in-ambulance births and multi-casualty events. It will also offer classes for dispatchers and phlebotomists, as well as training sessions in first aid and CPR for all Israelis.
For the Rabinovitches, the new center will help ensure that MDA can save more lives, despite the increased terror and rocket attacks being felt all over the country.
“If you look at the statistics, when it comes to saving lives, Magen David Adom does the most. What else do you need to say more than that? Whether injured soldiers or civilians, they are there for everyone,” said Marianna.
