Magen David Adom
MDA History
MDA was founded in Tel Aviv in June 1930 as a response to the riots of 1929 which made people realise that they lacked first aid services to protect themselves in the face of emergencies. To fill this urgent need, seven public spirited men set up a First Aid Society called Magen David Adom — The Red Shield of David. MDA's first home was a shop on the corner of Rothschild and Nahalat Benyamin Streets and its only resource was a small van converted into an ambulance and a few dozen volunteers.
Throughout the 1930s and 1940s it was recognised by the Mandate authorities as the 'Red Cross' society of the country and became the medical service of the Haganah with MDA members serving as first-aiders alongside the Haganah fighters. With the foundation of the State of Israel in 1948, leading members of MDA were involved in setting up the Medical Corps of the Israeli Defence Forces.
In 1950, the Knesset passed the Magen David Adom Law which gave MDA recognition by the Government of Israel as "the sole organisation entrusted to carry out in Israel the functions assigned by the Geneva Convention national societies of the Red Cross or other volunteer aid societies.."
UK History
Dr Paul Srickland and the late Mr Monty Landy formed the Friends of Magen David Adom in Great Britain following the bloody aftermath of the War of Independence. The bloodshed and loss of life were compounded by the acute lack of medical supply and resources available in the newly formed State of Israel. In January 1949 UK Friends of Magen David Adom made their first donation of seven vehicles, to be used as ambulances to Israel. Hundreds of people swarmed the streets of Manchester Square in London for a special ceremony organised to mark the event, before shipment to Israel. The sight of a row of seven ambulances lining the square was unforgettable - an historic moment in Anglo-Jewish History marking the official beginning of Friends of MDA in Great Britain.
In 1950, Lydia Callender, one of the founding members of Friends of MDA in GB, went to Israel as the first representative of the charity. Visiting casualty stations up and down the country she saw for herself how much help MDA really needed. Following her return to England, she was responsible for setting up the Functions Committee, the first committee ever set up for the sole purpose of raising money for special MDA projects. The committee ran 48 annual balls consecutively at which enormous funds were raised.
They contributed to the building of the Kiryat Shemona Medical Centre as well as the $33 million National Blood Centre at Tel Hashomer. Funds were provided for building and renovating casualty stations throughout the country from Metullah in the North to Yeroham in the Negev as well as purchasing dozens of ambulances, a mobile blood donor vehicle and many items of medical equipment. There is hardly an MDA station in Israel that hasn't felt the hand of Friends of Magen David Adom in Great Britain.
What is a Magen?
It is the Shield of King David, father of King Solomon, of the David and Goliath story fame. Archaeologists have discovered stones and artifacts with the symbol on them.
Q) Do we know from the Bible that David used this emblem or is it an extra-biblical tradition?
A) The Star of David is not mentioned in the Torah. (Bible)
The "Magen David" (Shield of David) the six pointed star made of two triangles appeared, according the Jewish tradition on the Shield of King David. According to the same tradition the same symbols appeared also on King Solomon's ring and therefore it is also called "Solomon's Seal". This symbol was considered to have magical powers and as a defence from the evil spirits.
The Magen David was used by Jews for decoration and appeared as an official Jewish symbol for the first time in 1354 when the Jewish community in Prague received the right to have a flag of its own and chose the Magen David as the symbol on the flag.
In the 15th Century the Magen David was used as a trademark for Jewish printers in Prague, Amsterdam and Italy, and in 1655 it was used on the Vienna Jewish community seal and soon afterwards also by the Jewish community in Amsterdam. In the 19th century the Magen David was used almost by all Jews as their symbol and it was used for Synagogue decoration, seals and letters. When the first Zionist groups (Bilu, Hovevei Zion etc.) started their activities in 1881, they adopted the Magen David for their symbols. The Magen David also appeared at the first edition of Herzl's newspaper "Die Welt" in 1897.
Magen David Adom UK
Aid given by MDA receives minimal government funding. Its lifesaving work in Israel - 24 hours round the clock, 365 days per year - is funded by a combination of voluntary donations from Friends of MDA in 17 countries around the world and payment from patients and hospitals. Magen David Adom provides its services to all, regardless of race, creed or ethnic affiliation. 90% of MDA's workforce are volunteers working side by side for a common purpose - to save lives.
Magen David Adom UK plays a vital support role for MDA in Israel. Since its foundation in 1949, the Friends have helped to fund a range of development projects including the building of new casualty stations, the supply of ambulances and specialists Mobile Intensive Care Units and other medical supplies. We need your help today and in perpetuity to help ensure that MDA will be able to respond to every call for help whenever it is needed. "Whoever has saved one life has saved an entire world".
Magen David Adom UK - Regional Office
MDA UK Regional Office in Manchester is responsible for all Jewish Communities from Birmingham and Nottingham up to Edinburgh, Glasgow and Aberdeen.
In December 2004, Magen David Adom UK established a Regional Office in Manchester with Richard Simon as its first UK Regional Director.
His brief is to raise the profile of MDA in the regions with an end-result of raising more funds.
The Regional Office takes in the following towns :-
Aberdeen, Belfast, Birmingham, Blackburn, Blackpool & St Annes, Bolton, Bradford, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Harrogate, Hull, Liverpool, Llandudno, Leeds, Manchester, Newcastle-under-Lyme, Newcastle-on-Tyne, Nottingham, Preston and Sheffield.
The Regional Office can assist donors in all aspects of giving whether they are Legacy, Celebration or just general donations. It can also issue MDA Certificates for celebrations.
Contact Magan David Adom
| Head Office | Regional Office |
|
Shield House Tel: 020 8201 5900 Registered Charity No.11134 |
MDA UK Regional Office Tel: 0161 795 2999 |
| Website: www.ukmda.org |
