Three MDA ambulances donated in memory of Dee family

One of the ambulances, bearing the names of Rina and Maia Dee, will be stationed in Efrat, where the family lives, and the two other ambulances are set to be deployed to the cities of Jerusalem and Tel Aviv, MDA said.

By JNS

Three ambulances were donated to the Magen David Adom emergency response organization last week in memory of the three members of the Dee family who were murdered in a terrorist shooting attack in April 2023.

Rina, 15, and Maia, 20, Dee were killed when Palestinian terrorists opened fire on their vehicle at the Hamra Junction in the Jordan Valley on April 7, 2023.

Their mother, Lucy, 48, sustained critical wounds in the attack, succumbing to her injuries three days after being airlifted to a hospital.

Almost two years after the attack that killed the dual Israeli-British nationals, which made headlines around the world, an anonymous donor, through the MDA Friends Association in Israel, decided to donate three ambulances in honor of Rina, Maia and Lucy Dee.

Last week’s dedication ceremony in Jerusalem was attended by husband Rabbi Leo Dee; his daughter, Keren; his parents, Barbara and Anthony; his sister, Sarah Callman; as well as other relatives of the Dee’s.

Senior Magen David Adom officials, volunteers and representatives of the Israeli Friends of MDA group also attended, the organization said.

One of the ambulances, bearing the names of Rina and Maia Dee, will be stationed in Efrat, where the family lives. The two other ambulances are set to be deployed to the cities of Jerusalem and Tel Aviv, MDA said.

“Tisha B’Av is the saddest day of the year, but it is also the day when the messiah is said to be born, teaching us that from our greatest suffering comes our greatest salvation,” Leo Dee stated in remarks shared by MDA.

He added, “The donor and MDA have created an incredible path to redemption and we thank them from the depths of our hearts.”

MDA Director Eli Bin expressed his organization’s “deepest gratitude to the anonymous donor, who, through the Israeli Friends of MDA, made the donation of these three ambulances possible in memory of the Dee family members, who were brutally murdered by terrorists.

“These ambulances will join our teams working day and night to save lives, and with great hope, they will also help bring new life into the world. May their memory be a blessing,” said Bin.

The shooting that killed Rina, Maia and Lucy took place on the second day of Passover, and the anniversary of their murder will this year be observed on April 14, according to the Hebrew calendar.

On Sunday, a memorial ceremony was held at Bnei Akiva Orot Yehuda Yeshiva in Efrat, where Lucy taught. The ceremony, which was held with the participation of the family and government officials, was interrupted due to air-raid sirens amid a missile attack by Yemen’s Houthi terrorists.

In the bomb shelter, the participants sang, “For not only one enemy has risen up against us to destroy us, but in every generation, they rise up to destroy us. But the Holy One, Blessed be He, delivers us from their hands,” part of the traditional Passover liturgy, the Israel Hayom newspaper reported.