Magen David Adom Smart External Defibrillator Station was inaugurated at Sapir Academic College in memory of Naomi Degani, who was murdered in Kibbutz Kfar Aza on October 7, 2023.
On Thursday, August 7th,2025, a Smart External Defibrillator Station (AED) was inaugurated in memory of Naomi Degani, a resident of Kfar Aza, who was murdered in her home on October 7th by Hamas terrorists. The dedication ceremony was held in the presence of her family and friends, Liron Bilder, the security officer of the educational campus at the college, Karin Shneid Kanti, Assistant CEO of the Friends of MDA Association, MDA representatives, and other honorable guests.
Naomi spent her life helping and caring for others, working as a nurse at Soroka Hospital and the Kfar Aza Clinic. The initiative to commemorate Naomi with a defibrillator station came from her 14-year-old grandson, Arbel. Naomi's family initiated a crowdfunding project to purchase a smart defibrillator station in her name, as a token of their appreciation for the work of the medical professionals. Her family and loved ones, in collaboration with the Friends of MDA in Israel, requested to place the smart AED station at Sapir College, a place where Naomi and her friends regularly visited.
Naomi Degani was born in Kfar Blum and moved to Kfar Aza at the age of 18 as part of her gap year service. During her military service, due to a national shortage of nurses, she was trained as a nurse at Tel Hashomer Hospital and returned immediately to Kibbutz Kfar Aza after that. Naomi was a vibrant woman full of life, love, and joy, who worked as a nurse at Soroka Hospital for decades.
"Her death, like her life, is dedicated to love and lifesaving," said Anat Degani-Morad, Naomi's daughter. "My mother used to say that the satisfaction one feels from working in a caring profession is unparalleled, perhaps with the exception of children and grandchildren. I remember her at the kibbutz clinic, the long shifts at Soroka, the exhaustion, backaches, and the weight of responsibility. She was caring and concerned for everyone, from the oldest to the youngest, and that's what shaped her character. Since the October 7th attack, in which she was brutally murdered, we have been hearing heartwarming stories about the woman, friend, and nurse she was, and about situations where she saved lives. Mom, you are an inspiration to us, and there is nothing more fitting and appropriate than to inaugurate this defibrillator station in your memory. Thank you Arbel, Naomi's grandson, for the initiative, thank you all who contributed, thank you MDA and Sapir College for the location – which is so symbolic for us in the Sha'ar HaNegev Regional Council, and thank you all from the community of Kfar Aza, who, while dealing with an indescribable crisis, has not forgotten to lend us a hand and give us a feeling of belonging".
Karin Shneid Kanti, Assistant CEO of the Israeli Friends of MDA Association, stated: "This is a very special and moving occasion, where we take another step forward in the race against time in the mission of saving lives". MDA donors understand the importance of contributing for the acquisition of advanced equipment as a tool for our volunteers. The AED station in Naomi's memory stands before us thanks to the hundreds of donors who understand the importance of having the advanced equipment to save lives. This smart defibrillator station changes reality in cases of cardiac arrest. MDA has been fighting for the lives of citizens for 95 years and today, it is considered a world leader in its field due to its teams' professionalism, advanced technology, and rapid emergency response time.
Prof. Nir Kedar, President of Sapir Academic College, said: "We see it as a great privilege to have the Smart Defibrillator station dedicated to the memory of the late Naomi Degani at the Sapir campus. The initiative of her family to commemorate her in a way that will save lives is such an inspiring tribute. Thank you, the Degani family and MDA, for the initiative and for choosing the Sapir campus as the home for this station".
Haim Karady, MDA's Lachish Region Director, said: "I want to thank the family and friends of the late Naomi who chose to commemorate a dear woman, murdered by the despicable terrorists, by donating a life-saving defibrillator. Its placement in the public area of the Sapir Academic College strengthens the emergency medical response for the residents of the South and continues Naomi's legacy, who was a medical professional herself".
Automatic Defibrillator Stations: Save Lives Every Day
The defibrillator device, which any citizen can easily operate even without prior knowledge, administers electrical shocks as needed, sets the pace of resuscitation, and provides clear audio and visual operating instructions. During medical emergency requiring resuscitation, any citizen who dials MDA's 101 emergency number will be instructed to go to the nearest smart AED station, retrieve and operate the defibrillator. This is done simultaneously while dispatching the nearby Intensive Care Unit (ICU) ambulance and MDA's medi-cycle first responders. The smart defibrillator station inaugurated at the college joins the thousands of stations already placed across the country by Magen David Adom in recent years.
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