Since 1999
From Student to Guide
From Guide to scout
In 2002, upon completing ninth grade, Maxim was trained as a young SHELACH guide (Mashatz) by the SHELACH and Knowledge of the Land Division in the Society and Youth Administration of the Ministry of Education. A young SHELACH guide learns what proper instruction is and acquires the tools to implement it, gains experience in fieldcraft and camping, and delves into the history of the Land of Israel and the State of Israel with its various characteristics, civil society, and leadership. “The course was compelling, especially because it managed to create situations where we, the trainees, could practice independent judgment under conditions of uncertainty. I found myself in unusual situations that required me to cope with the tasks assigned to me and to practice all the skills a good guide needs to lead an entire class in the field.” After two weeks in a boarding school environment, which emphasized developing self-discipline, responsibility, diligence, loyalty, assertiveness, resilience, enthusiasm, seriousness, leadership abilities, and all the essential values that make an outstanding guide, Maxim attended the graduation ceremony. He describes this event as the best possible summary of the whole process and one that left a lasting impression on him: “One of the speakers at the ceremony was the training director, who explicitly told us, ‘You are the leaders of tomorrow.’ This statement accompanies me everywhere, and in many situations in life, I feel the responsibility it implies on my shoulders and act accordingly.”
Maxim did not settle for being a Mashatz and immediately joined the KKL-JNF Field Scouts, who educate through fieldwork and in the field about the values of environmental protection, community contribution, and leadership. “Knowing the significance and the stories behind November 29th, 5th of Iyar, 10th of Tishrei, and November 4th is excellent, but ultimately, in my opinion, the best way to get to know our beautiful country is on foot, by hiking to Tom and Tomer Hill, Yoav Fortress, Tel Saki, and other historical sites from Dan to Eilat.” During the training period, Maxim got to know many sites and nature trails on foot, crossed the country widthwise, and reached breathtaking places, as a guide and trainee. Eventually, he was accepted to instruct in the Field Scouts as well. “I underwent a transformation in a very short period; it was a matter of a few days and no more than a few weeks until I became a person who prefers going out into nature over vacationing in a hotel, a lover of challenging climbing over lounging on the beach or splashing in the pool.”
From First Aid Provider to Medic and Ambulance Driver
Maxim’s volunteering with Magen David Adom, which he began in 2003 through participation in the 60th course for first aid providers under 18, carries a rare opportunity to save lives around the clock, every day of the week. Alongside medical care, volunteers gain experience in human interaction, develop managerial and administrative skills, acquire a proper educational approach to life, and contribute to the welfare of the community. “Volunteering with MDA, similar to military service, is, in a sense, a way of life. Alongside the medical cases we respond to during shifts with the ambulance, I encountered other incidents randomly in daily life. In both situations, I did not know in advance what medical cases I would face, and this nature of volunteering trained me to go from zero to one hundred at any moment, from routine to handling a medical emergency.”
Immediately after completing the course, Maxim joined the on-duty medic on shifts and was dispatched with him to handle medical emergencies such as respiratory or cardiovascular events, trauma, poisoning, environmental injuries, resuscitations, childbirth, and mass casualty incidents, all based on distress calls received at the 101 hotline. “The more shifts I did and the more cases I attended, the better I got to know the station’s staff. This familiarity is crucial, especially when we are under pressure and need to act quickly: about ten minutes from arriving at the scene until starting the evacuation, and about an hour from receiving the call until the patient reaches the hospital.” After a year of volunteering on basic ambulances equipped with basic bandaging and resuscitation equipment, Maxim was trained as an Intensive Care Unit (ICU) assistant and joined ICU ambulances as a fourth team member, assisting the medic, paramedic, and doctor in performing advanced medical procedures in severe and complex cases, where the essence of these activities is to save lives. “I would say that in the basic ambulances, you encounter the easier cases, but that’s not always true. During times of numerous severe cases, the basic teams are required to provide life-saving medical care until the arrival of the nearest ICU ambulance with more advanced equipment. Everything develops dynamically, and you can never know how severe the next case will be.”
Maxim was also elected to the youth committee, responsible for the welfare of the station’s volunteers, such as providing special assistance to volunteers facing various economic and personal challenges, as well as providing administrative support for training courses and organizing community contribution initiatives, like the “Kimcha DePischa” food drive. “Besides going out to provide security at various mass events, like live performances and football matches, which I considered a bonus, I think the food collection drives for the needy were among the highlights of non-medical volunteering. We would set up at the entrances to supermarkets and collect piles of food, which was eventually sorted and distributed to the needy in the days leading up to Passover.”
In 2008, after five years as a youth volunteer and an adult volunteer, and during his military service, Maxim successfully completed the MDA medic course and received an ambulance driver’s license. “Ostensibly, I continued responding to the same medical cases I had before the course, but my role in the ambulance was different this time. From a volunteer, who is the medic’s right hand, I became the team leader.” As a medic and ambulance driver, Maxim took on the management of medical events in all possible aspects, from driving to the event to making decisions about the medical treatment to be performed on-site, as well as addressing legal issues, ensuring the safety of the team, and caring for the patient or patients and their accompanying family members during the rides. “The truth is that as I gained experience, I got to manage medical events even before the medic course. During shifts, under the supervision of the team leader and outside of them, when I encountered medical incidents like accidents, fires, or fainting, I managed them until the arrival of rescue forces. These are all those moments when I questioned, listened, and supported, checked vital signs, performed chest compressions and ventilations, bandaged and immobilized, took responsibility, and also worked in a team – these are moments that will stay with me for life.”