United Hatzalah: Training and Equipping Heroes to Save Lives
United Hatzalah: The Ultimate Embodiment of the Edict, “Love Your Neighbor as Yourself”
“וְאָהַבְתָּ לְרֵעֲךָ כָּמוֹךָ — Love your neighbor as yourself” (Leviticus 19:18)
At its core, United Hatzalah is the living execution of this commandment. Volunteers from every walk of life and religion — Jews, Muslims, Christians, Druze — are empowered to respond instantly to neighbors in critical need, providing lifesaving care at no cost to the recipient, funded entirely through donations.
It is love in action: immediate, selfless, and without hesitation.
Honorees and Supporters
The gala celebrated the extraordinary contributions of Bar Kupershtein, Yossi Cohen, and Mike Pompeo, alongside major supporters including the Skolnick Family, the Pargh Family, and other dedicated donors.
The event was made possible through the leadership of the gala chairs, Nily Falic, Barbara Silber, and Mark Silber, as well as sponsors and partners.
Greenberg Traurig served as a corporate sponsor and presented the Courage Award, highlighting their support for United Hatzalah’s lifesaving mission.
Bar Kupershtein: Heroism Forged Long Before October 7
Bar Kupershtein’s courage did not begin on October 7. It was forged years earlier, shaped by family sacrifice and responsibility.
His father, a falafel shop owner and United Hatzalah volunteer, once rushed to save a woman’s life — and was struck by a car in the process. A stroke left him paralyzed and largely unable to speak, plunging the family into emotional and financial hardship.
United Hatzalah stepped in to support the family, helping keep the falafel shop running so they could recover. Later, the organization continued to mentor the family, training Bar’s son in lifesaving skills — a seed that would later blossom when he used those skills to help save victims at the Nova music festival.
Bar himself stepped in to shoulder responsibility. While serving in the IDF, he worked multiple jobs to support his family, including security work at Nova. When terror struck that day, Bar ran toward danger, treating the wounded with whatever he could find, helping strangers escape, and staying long after others fled. Eventually, he was taken hostage.
Trained as a medic in the IDF, Bar was formally inducted as a United Hatzalah EMT at the gala, continuing a legacy of lifesaving service.
A son shaped by sacrifice and responsibility, Bar embodies human dignity, selflessness, and moral courage — the very values United Hatzalah exists to uphold.
Yossi Cohen: Brilliance in the Service of Responsibility
Honored alongside Bar was Yossi Cohen, former head of the Mossad, whose heroism reflects a different but equally vital form of leadership.
Cohen’s career is defined by quiet authority, disciplined judgment, and strategic brilliance. Under his leadership, even a simple pager became part of a sophisticated system to outthink and dismantle terrorist networks. His methods are so innovative that militaries worldwide now study them to anticipate and neutralize threats before they escalate.
This is leadership that seeks results, not applause.
Integrity Beyond Borders
Also present was Mike Pompeo, former Director of the CIA and US Secretary of State, respected for approaching Israel not as a political talking point, but as a moral commitment.
Shaped by military service and a deep sense of responsibility, Pompeo exemplifies the principle that alliances grounded in shared values demand courage, consistency, and integrity.
Aya Cohen: Quiet Strength Behind the Scenes
No discussion of leadership is complete without recognizing those who provide unwavering support behind the spotlight.
Aya Cohen, wife of Yossi Cohen, former head of the Mossad, exemplifies quiet strength and dedication. Her presence underscores the often-unseen pillars that sustain Israel’s heroes and the institutions that save lives.
The Ripple Effect of Lifesaving
From Bar’s father risking his life to save a stranger, to Bar running toward terror to help the wounded, to his son later saving lives with the skills instilled by United Hatzalah — this is heroism passed across generations.
It is a ripple effect of courage, commitment, and compassion, showing how one act of selflessness can grow into a legacy of life-saving impact.
What the Night Reminded Us
The United Hatzalah Miami Gala was a celebration of character. It reminded us that heroism often begins long before history takes notice, that leadership is measured by responsibility rather than recognition, and that brilliance without moral purpose is hollow.
In a world saturated with noise and self-promotion, the evening offered something rarer: living examples.
Bar Kupershtein
Yossi Cohen
Mike Pompeo
And the quiet figures — like Aya Cohen — who make it all possible.
This is what leadership looks like when it does not seek the spotlight.
This is why United Hatzalah matters — not only in moments of emergency, but in reminding us of who we are meant to be.
