United for Life: An Unforgettable Night of Music and Chesed

On Wednesday night of Chol HaMoed Sukkos, I had the privilege of attending United Hatzalah’s twentieth-anniversary concert at the Sultan’s Pool in Jerusalem. I expected wonderful music and an enjoyable evening. What I experienced, however, was much more than a concert. It was an evening filled with unity, gratitude, compassion, and a powerful reminder of what Am Yisrael can accomplish when we come together to help one another.

The singers were absolutely outstanding. Ishay Ribo, Avraham Fried, Yaakov Shwekey, Zusha, and Yair Elaytzur were each incredible. The music was uplifting, and thousands of people sang and celebrated together beneath the Jerusalem sky. Yet the most beautiful part of the evening was not simply the performances. It was the spirit behind them.

Everything that evening was connected to saving lives.

United Hatzalah was founded twenty years ago by Eli Beer, who brought together separate Hatzalah groups throughout Israel and united them around one mission: reaching people in medical emergencies as quickly as possible and treating them free of charge.

We often hear about enormous organizations and the impressive individuals who created them. As those organizations become more successful, their founders can sometimes appear distant or unreachable. Eli Beer is exactly the opposite.

No matter how much United Hatzalah grows, Eli remains remarkably down-to-earth. He is a true people person. He loves people, speaks to them warmly, and makes each person feel seen. There is nothing prideful or haughty about him. Although he has created an extraordinary lifesaving organization and is known around the world, he has retained a very human touch.

He does not merely speak about caring for humanity as a grand idea. He cares for the person standing directly in front of him.

That is what makes people want to help him. You want to stand beside him because you can feel that his work comes from his heart. His enthusiasm is genuine, and his joy is contagious. He is a happy person – not because life is always simple, but because he has chosen a life of purpose, generosity, and service to others.

Perhaps that is one of the secrets of his success. When a person devotes himself to doing good, Hashem opens doors for him. Eli’s happiness does not come only from what he has accomplished. It comes from knowing that, because of this organization and its volunteers, another mother still has her child, another family still has its father, and another person has been given the gift of another day.

Eli’s wife, Giti Beer, is also part of this beautiful mission. She helped establish United Hatzalah’s women’s division, which includes trained female EMTs, paramedics, and other emergency responders.

The contribution of these women is invaluable. This is especially true when responding to a woman giving birth or to another emergency in which a female patient may feel safer and more comfortable being treated by a woman. The women arrive professionally trained and equipped to provide lifesaving care, while also bringing a special sensitivity to the person they are treating.

Together, Eli and Giti, along with their beautiful family, have created much more than an organization. They have helped build a culture of chesed – one that teaches us that when another person is suffering, we do not look away. We respond.

One of the most moving moments of the concert was the appearance of Bar Kupershtein, who survived 738 days in Hamas captivity. Bar had been abducted from the Nova music festival on October 7, 2023, after remaining at the site to help wounded people.

Eli Beer welcomed Bar with tremendous affection and respect. He did not treat his appearance as simply another part of the program. He stopped and gave Bar the honor, love, and attention he deserved.

It was beautiful to watch because Eli understood exactly what that moment required. He placed the focus where it belonged: on Bar, on his courage, on the prayers that accompanied him throughout his captivity, and on the miracle of seeing him standing there among us.

At that moment, the concert became more than a celebration. It became an expression of the heart of Am Yisrael.

Bar’s presence also represented the very values that United Hatzalah embodies. Even in the midst of terror and confusion, he had tried to help others. United Hatzalah’s volunteers live according to that same principle every day: When someone needs help, you go. You do not first ask who the person is, where he comes from, how religious he is, or whether he thinks like you. You simply run to save a life.

Sitting there and looking around at the thousands of people, I felt grateful to be part of such an evening. Everywhere I looked, I saw people coming together – not only to enjoy music, but to support something larger than themselves.

In everyday life, it is easy to become occupied with our own needs, worries, responsibilities, and struggles. An evening like this reminds us to lift our eyes and notice the people around us. It reminds us that true greatness is not measured only by what we achieve for ourselves, but by how much good we bring into the lives of others.

United Hatzalah began with a dream and grew into an extraordinary nationwide lifesaving network. Its growth teaches us what can happen when one person sees a need, refuses to accept that nothing can be done, and inspires thousands of others to join him.

I left the concert with the music still ringing in my ears, but even more importantly, with its message ringing in my heart: We are here for one another. Every person matters. Every second matters. Every life is an entire world.

May Hashem continue to stand beside Eli and Giti Beer, their family, and all the devoted United Hatzalah volunteers. May He bless everything they do with tremendous success. May they always have the strength, resources, and siyata diShmaya to continue their holy work.

At the same time, may we reach a day when their services are rarely needed – when our people are safe, healthy, and protected, and when no family knows the fear of waiting for emergency help.

May the unity and love we felt that night spread throughout Am Yisrael, and may we very soon celebrate together not only at another concert, but in Yerushalayim with the complete Geulah.