Revealed: Who is the 80-Year-Old Volunteer on the Scooter?

When Alex Michigen celebrated his 80th birthday last week, he never imagined he would receive warm greetings and well-wishes from so many people, including those he had never met.

"I was actually abroad," he notes, "and the messages sent to my mobile were received by my children, who forwarded them to me. It quickly became clear that in the Magen David Adom organization where I've been volunteering for almost 60 years, they published greetings for 'the volunteer on the scooter who turned 80', and people read it and were simply inspired. I received so many calls from those who just wanted to bless me, encourage me, and wish me many more years of volunteering. It was very moving."

A Volunteer by Chance

Magen David Adom has thousands of volunteers across the country, but Alex Michigen's story is undoubtedly unique. "I was born in Tiberias and began volunteering at Magen David Adom after the army, at age 21," he shares. "The truth is, it happened quite by accident. One day, there was shooting from Jordan into Tiberias and there were casualties. I was in the area and noticed what was happening. Without much thought, I ran to the Magen David Adom station, took a Ford Transit ambulance, and drove to the location where the incident occurred. I was alone and acted quickly – I performed lifesaving actions on-site and transported the wounded to Poria Hospital. Unfortunately, I later learned that there were three fatalities. When I finally returned the ambulance to the station, the station manager was waiting for me and announced: 'From this moment, you stay with us, we need someone like you.' That's how I began volunteering."

Over the years, Alex has been active in many areas at Magen David Adom, always as a volunteer. Among other roles, he was deputy head of the delegation in Rome, where he was invited by the Red Cross. "But generally, my activities are focused here in Israel, in Tiberias," he emphasizes. "I still live in Tiberias today and over the years, I've been dispatched thousands of times to handle incidents where people were in life-threatening situations. Tiberias is a tourist city, and often these are tourists or travelers. These are people who came simply to enjoy themselves but suddenly faced a severe accident or injury. Over the years, I've come to understand that these are split seconds that can turn into a tragic disaster or a miracle of rescue, and I've committed that every time I get a call, I stop everything, think of nothing but running to save lives. I own a Hyundai Mitsubishi service center in Tiberias, I have a lot of work. But nothing interests me when I get a call."

(Illustrative photo: Flash 90)

Mission: Save Lives

There are also cases Alex cannot forget. "In the 1970s, a converted truck packed with children arrived in Tiberias. As it descended the Tiberias slopes, the driver lost control, the vehicle overturned, and dozens of children were injured. The scenes were incredibly difficult; some children had severed limbs, as their arms were crushed under the truck.

"There was also another tragic and unforgettable case of a bus full of women that overturned. Six women were killed in the incident, and I was among the first volunteers to arrive at the scene. Naturally, we acted immediately and did everything necessary to save whoever we could, but the hard scenes have not left me to this day. Unfortunately, there have been many other traffic accidents and difficult stories. The time I'm called to the most incidents is during bein hazmanim. These are days when many types of tourists come to Tiberias, mainly yeshiva students. There's never a year when there's no case of someone drowning in the Kinneret after swimming in an unregulated beach. We try to do what we can to save and also to raise awareness – so people understand the magnitude of the danger and that their lives may be at risk, and they should simply not put themselves in such risks."

You've seen such difficult scenes over the years. What gives you the strength to continue?

Alex doesn't hesitate. "The satisfaction," he responds in one word. "Clearly, nothing gives more satisfaction than saving lives. And of course, there are miracles that give you immense strength to continue. For instance, one day I was called to a fire in an apartment. The fire broke out on the sixth floor, and when I arrived, neighbors claimed there were children upstairs. I was with another friend, and neither of us hesitated – we went up to the apartment and found the entire house ablaze and filled with smoke. The children were hiding in the kitchen, which the fire hadn't reached yet, but there was a lot of smoke, and they could hardly breathe. We covered each of them in a blanket; I carried one child down, and my friend brought down the other. Moments later, the entire apartment was engulfed in flames. There are no words in the world to describe the great satisfaction we felt."

Still, you're no longer young, and this volunteering requires a lot of physical strength...

"I may be eighty, but Hashem has given me strength, and I intend to continue using it as much as I can. Every person saved is an entire world. So how could I give that up? When I was asked what I wish for my 80th birthday, I explained to everyone that I'm not asking for anything, just that I get to continue saving lives as I've done until today. For me, that's the greatest wish."