In November, my fiancée Roxanna and I will be joining an MDA trek to raise money for much-needed lifesaving equipment for Israel’s ambulance service.

We will be hiking in the memory of Hillel Rudich, a 32-year-old artisanal baker who drowned before I could save him near Efrat in 2014, leaving a widow and three children. I’m writing personally to ask you to give generously to this important cause.

Our hiking route will travel through both Israel and Jordan, reflecting the culture of MDA, as part of the broader International Committee of the Red Cross family. For MDA, saving lives is all that matters, regardless of race, colour, nationality or religious belief.

The history of MDA is testament to this principle. It was founded in 1930, by a nurse, Dr Mushalam Levontin, as a volunteer organisation, providing medical care to all of Palestine’s residents, whether Jewish, Muslim, Christian or Druze. That principle guides the organisation to this day.

MDA is responsible for all of Israel’s first aid training, and provides and maintains its fleet of 1,716 ambulances, medicycles, lifeboats and air ambulances. It co-operates with the Palestinian Red Crescent, shares expertise internationally on mass casualty events, and collects and supplies 300,000 units of blood annually.

jake and partner

Jake and his fiancée Roxanna

Last year, it opened the world’s most secure national blood bank. This remarkable work costs money. For years, MDA UK has maintained an umbilical cord to the Jewish state, sending support to rescue people like Hillel Rudich in the future.

In a region where taking life is sadly widespread, we are honoured to be raising funds to enable them to be saved.

Please give generously via the link below. Thank you.

To support the JC Editor and his fiancée on their MDA UK trek in memory of Hillel visit thejc.com/justgiving