Israeli experts train Oakland Co. synagogue members on responding to mass casualty attacks

Southfield — Magen David Adom, Israel's national paramedic service, helped to train local synagogue members and others how to help first responders navigate the first seven minutes of a mass casualty attack as acts of antisemitism have risen in Michigan and nationwide.

The first seven minutes are critical and the quick response of people on the ground before emergency medical services arrive can save lives, said Magen David Adom Director Yonatan Yagodovsky.

"Why seven minutes? Because usually within at least seven minutes, the official help arrives," Yagodovsky said on the sidelines of the demonstration training at Shaarey Zedek Synagogue. "If something happens, somebody first needs to take charge. ... If people are hurt, we have a few minutes to give them a better chance to survive."

In today's climate, people need to be prepared for all kinds of emergency situations, said Robert Rich, executive director at Shaarey Zedek in Southfield.

"Unfortunately, in the world that we live in, we need to be prepared. We need to be trained both collectively and individually in dealing with different kinds of situations," Rich said. "Magen David Adom ... has a lot of firsthand experience with violence and the aftermath, and they'll be able to share with us their perspectives."

Antisemitic incidents have been on the rise across the country and in Michigan, according to the Anti-Defamation League. Its March report found 3,697 incidents of harassment, vandalism and assault targeting Jewish people and communities in 2022, the third time in five years that the total has set a record since the ADL first began collecting data in 1979.

Shaarey Zedek takes security very seriously and the synagogue has hosted several first-aid and trauma-related trainings in the past, Rich said. This is the first time synagogue officials have brought experts in from Israel, he said.

"The kinds of things that that we're doing, obviously, because we're a Jewish institution, are a reaction to things that are going on in the country," said Mel Chinitz, a congregation member from Farmington Hills. "I can remember 20 years ago you would walk in (to the synagogue), all the doors were open. Now, we have security guards."

A 19-year-old from the Upper Peninsula was arrested by the FBI on Friday for threatening an East Lansing synagogue with the same name, Shaarey Zedek, on the anniversary of the 2019 Christchurch mosque shootings in New Zealand.

The Magen David Adom holds "first-seven-minute" training for civilians all around the world to teach non-medical-professionals how to support people injured in different emergency situations, Yagodovsky said. People who attended Tuesday's training practiced the skills in simulated emergency scenarios.

Raphael Herbst, a senior paramedic and trainer with Magen David Adom, taught members of the congregation to prioritize safety throughout an emergency, especially if it is an ongoing, violent attack. When an individual is safe, they can call for help, Herbst said.

People who attended Tuesday's training practiced calling 911 in response to different accident and emergency scenarios and provided key information, such as the location of an emergency and the number of people affected.

One of the biggest initial challenges in responding to mass casualty attacks is determining the extent of them. Sometimes multiple attacks are carried out at the same time near each other to slow down emergency dispatch's response. People who call 911 should remain on the phone to provide as much information as possible and "let them hang up on you," Herbst said.

"It's important for us to be able to react. ... You could just be driving down the street, boom! An accident happens in front of you, you're ready to do something," Chinitz said.

After calling for help, bystanders or other civilians on the ground in an emergency should work together to organize the scene, Herbst said. If some people are in more distress than others basic triaging can help medical personnel when they arrive.

The most important factor is having a strong and prepared community that can start to save lives before professional help arrives, Herbst said.

"It (training) builds resilience in the community. It gives them the know-how that they can act, even if it is intimidating," Yagodovsky said.

hmackay@detroitnews.com