Eli Beer on Deuteronomy 30:19 – “Choosing Life”

Mark is so delighted to welcome his very good friend and partner in United Hatzalah, Eli Beer, to the podcast today. As a young man, Eli identified the importance of receiving medical care within the first few minutes of an incident, and he has dedicated his life to addressing this fact, leading him to become the Founder and President of United Hatzalah. This organization now has several thousand medics throughout Israel who treat 1,900 emergency calls a day, saving easily 200 lives every day in every sector of Israeli society. The passage Eli has chosen to discuss today is his bar mitzvah portion which continues to guide his life to this day, Deuteronomy 30:19. Eli begins by sharing the only thing he actually remembers from his bar mitzvah, his passion in life, and what it feels like to save a life. He provides examples from his life of doing more than the minimum expected, setting the example for others, and the essence of the Torah. He and Mark reflect upon Mark’s son’s joy in partnering to help save lives, their experience with volunteers and donors, and what bothered Eli the most when he was severely ill recently. Eli finishes by sharing the lessons he has learned about mankind that relate directly to the theme of today’s passage and the Jewish calling to which he has so passionately dedicated himself – choosing life. As you listen to his story here today, you will undoubtedly come to share the immense amount of admiration and respect which Mark holds for this remarkable individual and his devotion to bringing the very essence of the Torah to life. Episode Highlights: The only thing Eli actually remembers from his bar mitzvah Eli’s passion in life Choosing life The feeling of saving a life Examples from his life of ‘doing a lot more than just the minimum’ Setting the example for others The essence of the whole Torah Mark’s son’s joy in partnering to save lives Eli’s perspective on volunteers and donors The most generous donors What most bothered Eli during his COVID-19 illness The Jewish traditio