About Elchanan Alon

Elchanan worked as a dispatcher in the United Hatzalah dispatch center until recently, when he got married and moved away from Jerusalem. He has been volunteering for the past four years, following in his father’s footsteps and racing out of the home to help people as a volunteer. Elchanan’s work in the dispatch center, combined with his very active volunteering in Jerusalem and more recently in Elad, has transformed this young man into an extraordinarily dedicated individual who lives and breathes life-saving, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Here is one of the countless stories that this incredible volunteer has encountered: It was Shabbat afternoon and Elchanan was taking a leisurely stroll with a friend in Jerusalem when he suddenly received an alert regarding a choking baby. The address was just up the street, and the young, energetic medic took off like an Olympic sprinter. Arriving at the address in 60 seconds, Elchanan came upon a hysterical family. The father was holding their infant, who was an ominous shade of blue, as a result of a complete obstruction of his airway.  The experienced medic quickly took the baby from the panicked father and administered several abdomen thrusts. The object was ejected from the infant’s mouth and the baby immediately began to cry, as did his overwhelmed parents.  In Elchanan’s own words, “It is impossible to describe the intensity and emotions of the family at that moment.”  When they regained their composure, the parents struggled to find sufficient words to thank Elchanan for saving the life of their precious child. By the time the intensive care ambulance arrived, there was nothing for the crew to do other than turn around and go back to its base. Elchanan bid the family a “Shabbat Shalom” and continued his “leisurely” Shabbat walk.