The story begins with a random act of kindness and generosity from a 13 year old bar mitzvah boy, Robert Leeds. When the invitations to Roberts' bar mitzvah were mailed, the return card
stated, “In lieu of gifts, let’s come together and do a very special act
of kindness in our holy land. Join hands and put a lifesaving ambulance
on the ground in Israel. Please send your tax-deductible contribution
in Robert’s honor to MDA.”
The guests responded, and enough money was raised to donate two ambulances to Israel.
On January 8, one of those ambulances will be dedicated to the City of Ashkelon by members of the Sacramento city
council, the
American Friends of Magen David Adom (Israeli Red Cross) and
StandWithUs in honor of the newly created
sister-city relationship with Sacramento.
From
Algemeiner:
“The ambulance dedication is a thank you to the city of Sacramento
for approving the newest sister city resolution with Ashkelon last
August despite opposition from the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions
movement in their on-going attempts to pariah the state of Israel,” Gail
Rubin, representing the Sacramento-Davis area chapter of SWU, told JNS.org.
Rubin said Leeds “understands the true meaning of doing good deeds for others, as this ambulance will help save lives.”
“This is a great story of a young man seeing a need and making a
difference,” Sacramento Councilmember Steve Cohn, who was one of the
councilmembers behind the initiative, said in a statement.
Leeds said in a statement that it is his hope to show Israel and the
City of Ashkelon that I stand with them and that’s what becoming a man
means to me.”
Yossi
Mentz Western Regional Director of the American Friends of Magen David declared “Robert’s bar mitzvah had both the bar and a
mitzvah. There’s no greater mitzvah than saving a life.”
