Magen David Adom (MDA), the international emergency medical and rescue organization, now officially has representation in Portugal. The founding of the Portuguese Association of Friends of Magen David Adom was celebrated on January 19 during a ceremony held at Casa Chabad in Cascais, marked by emotion, a strong humanitarian spirit, and broad institutional engagement.
Globally recognized for its daily life-saving work, Magen David Adom operates without distinction of origin, belief, or identity and is regarded as a living symbol of humanity in action. The newly established association in Portugal aims to train citizens in first aid, promote rapid emergency response nationwide, and provide financial support to MDA operations in Israel.
The leadership of the new association includes Madalena Barata as President; Monique Katz as Vice President; Michel Ktorza as Secretary General; Victor Wintz as Advisor; along with MDA Ambassadors.
The ceremony was attended by numerous religious, diplomatic, and institutional authorities, including Rabbi Eli Rosenfeld and Rabbanit Raizel Rosenfeld, as well as the Ambassador of Israel to Portugal, Oren Rozenblat, accompanied by his wife, Riki Rozenblat.
Also present were representatives of Portugal’s emergency and civil protection services: the National Authority for Emergency and Civil Protection (ANEPC), represented by Commander Hugo Santos; the Cascais Volunteer Firefighters Humanitarian Association, represented by Commander Idálio Simão; the Portuguese Red Cross, represented by Dr. Gonçalo Orfão and Dr. Jodi Rato; and the National Institute of Medical Emergency, represented by Rui Rebelo. The Cascais City Council was represented by Pedro Morais Soares.
During the session, two important concrete outcomes of the mission were highlighted. Thanks to the generosity of private donors, a fully equipped MDA mobile ambulance will soon become operational in Israel under the designation “Portugal.” At the same time, strong institutional ties were established with municipal and national emergency authorities, paving the way for future partnerships in first aid training and emergency response in Portugal.
The event also featured an address by Raphaël Yerushalmi, a former senior military intelligence officer, who emphasized the strategic and humanitarian importance of Magen David Adom. The session concluded with a musical performance by Israeli singer Or Koskas.
