Magen David Adom - Volunteers

Volunteers

Magen David Adom is mainly staffed by volunteers, and has over 10,000 people volunteering over one million man/hours per year. The minimum age to join Magen David Adom's basic first aid course and become a volunteer is 15.

Since 2001, international volunteers aged 18 and over have the option to come to Israel for a two-month Yochai Porat International Volunteer Programme. The program is named after its founder and first coordinator, who was killed by a sniper on March 3, 2002 while serving reserve duty as a combat medic in the Israel Defense Forces. All volunteers follow a 60-hour course that covers a wide range of topics ranging from common medical conditions and trauma situations to mass casualty events. Those who pass the course are then dispatched throughout the country and work with local volunteers in ambulances to provide initial medical care.

While the programme was originally financially supported by the Jewish Agency for Israel, it has recently been taken over by the Israel Experience organization, which also offers programs for Jewish youths on Birthright Israel trips.

Visitors to Israel, are also welcome to donate blood through the "Sharing for Life" programme. Since inception in 2001, increasing numbers have donated blood usually through groups such as Christian solidarity missions, or family Bar-Bat Mitzvas, especially during seasonal traditional pilgrimage times, such as Passover and Easter.