At the evening of honoring the women of the Hatzala organization's night watchmen, a particularly moving moment occurred: The chairman of the religious council in the city of Ramat Gan, Gedaliah Ben Shimon, who was critically injured in a stabbing attack about two months ago, arrived with his wife to express gratitude to the volunteers who saved his life.
Ben Shimon presented certificates of appreciation to the first two volunteers to arrive at the scene of the attack - Israel Meir Yehudai and Benzi Porges - who worked under heavy pressure and immediately began life-saving operations, until he was evacuated to the hospital.
During the event, Ben Shimon excitedly recounted how the volunteers' quick and professional action decided the battle for his life. Volunteer Benzi Porges, who also serves as an intensive care nurse at Ichilov Hospital, contacted the hospital from the field and informed the operating room to prepare immediately, including preparing blood donations for his arrival.
""When I got to the hospital, everything was ready," he said. "Their speed, professionalism and dedication simply saved me. I'm standing here today because of them.".
Ben Shimon added that as a public figure for many years, he is intimately familiar with the world of volunteering and public action: "People see a volunteer who goes out to read, but they don't always see the woman and children who sacrifice their routine to save lives. This is a tremendous mission, and these are enormous rights.".
During the evening, Rabbi Ben Shimon's wife distributed bouquets of flowers to the wives of the volunteers in recognition of their support and partnership in the mission, and even gave special bouquets of thanks to the wives of the two volunteers who saved his life.
The CEO of the Hatzala organization, Rabbi Yaakov Yosef, said during the evening: "This evening is dedicated to the women who enable volunteers to be available for every call, at any hour. The story of Gedaliah ben Shimon illustrates how critical every second is and how much the dedication of the volunteers and their families actually saves lives.".
The organization's chairman, Asher Shlomowitz: "Seeing a person who was saved come especially to thank those who saved him is the strongest reminder of the meaning of a rescue organization. Behind every call-out, there is an entire family that mobilizes to save lives, and this evening is a salute to them.".
