Congressman Ritchie Torres will join the Riverdale Jewish Community Partnership this Sunday, February 23, 2025, to dedicate an ambulance for Magen David Adom (MDA) before it is sent to Israel to save lives. Magen David Adom is Israel’s national emergency medical service organization. The dedication serves as a symbol of solidarity between Riverdale and Israel. It is stories like Zvi Reder’s that inspired this extraordinary act of generosity.
Reder raced to help, treating injured festival goers fleeing the massacre, unknowingly navigating roads teeming with terrorists. Then came a text from his son, Dor z’l, who was at home:
“I can’t talk. There’s a lot of noise outside.”
An hour later, his brother called—a terrorist answered the phone.
It was not until later that Reder learned the devastating truth: Dor had been murdered.
Days later, after burying his son, Reder stood at the funeral of Yarin Peled z’l, an MDA volunteer and soldier he had once hosted at his home. There, he saw firsthand what he had always known: Magen David Adom is family. Even in tragedy, they show up.
Now, Reder asks only one thing: “Raise your heads and move forward. We provide the spirit to the fighters at the front. Am Yisrael Chai.”
When the Riverdale community heard stories like Reder’s, they knew they could not stand by—they had to act and were specifically inspired to support Magen David Adom’s lifesaving work.
What began as a modest effort to fund half an ambulance quickly became something much greater. The response was overwhelming. Since October 2023, they have raised over $120,000—enough to fully fund a state-of-the-art ambulance that will soon be racing through the streets of Israel, answering urgent calls, and saving lives.
Event Details:
- Where: 5625 Arlington Avenue, Bronx, NY 10471
- When: Sunday, February 23, 2025, 10 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.
Speakers & Honored Guests:
- Congressman Ritchie Torres;
- Bronx Borough President Vanessa Gibson;
- Assemblymember Jeffrey Dinowitz;
- local clergy and community leaders.
About American Friends of Magen David Adom
American Friends of Magen David Adom (AFMDA) supports Magen David Adom, Israel’s national emergency medical service, ensuring its first responders have the resources they need to save lives. MDA operates 24/7, responding to medical emergencies, terror attacks, and natural disasters. AFMDA helps provide lifesaving equipment, ambulances, and blood services to keep MDA at the forefront of emergency medical care.
To learn more or support their mission, please visit afmda.org.
Featured image credit: DepositPhotos.com
