Reviewing: “90 Seconds: The Epic Story of Eli Beer and United Hatzalah” by Rabbi Nachman Seltzer. Mesorah Publications Ltd. 2023. Hardcover. 499 pages. ISBN-13: 978-1422633076.
(Courtesy of United Hatzalah) The official biography of Eli Beer, founder and president of United Hatzalah of Israel, the world’s largest fully volunteer emergency medical services (EMS) and based in Israel, will be released on March 16. The book is titled “90 Seconds: The Epic Story of Eli Beer and United Hatzalah” to signify Beer’s dream of arriving at any medical emergency in Israel in 90 seconds or less.
Published by ArtScroll and written by Rabbi Nachman Seltzer, the exciting story of one of Israel’s most impactful men spans decades, crises and survival. It is a heart-stopping drama that is filled with dramatic rescues, inspiration, and the founding of one of the world’s fastest and best EMS organizations.
The vision of United Hatzalah of Israel began when 5-year-old Eli Beer saw a horrific terror attack when a bus exploded in front of him. He dreamed of being the person who could respond to medical emergencies and save people. While still a young teen, Eli set out to make that dream come true, creating an underground network of pioneering EMTs who were determined to bring their lifesaving skills to injured patients in 90 seconds or less, no matter who they were, or where they were in Israel.
“90 Seconds” is the story of how a boy who failed in school and went on to create the world’s fastest and cheapest private EMS service. The story tells of life-changing and lifesaving technological innovations such as the “ambucycle.” It is the story of how lives were saved and dreams came true due to determination, vision, self-sacrifice, compassion, siyata diShmaya (heavenly assistance), and of course chutzpah.
Former U.S. Ambassador to Israel David Friedman spoke about the book and said, “This is the captivating story of one of the greatest social entrepreneurs of our generation. Eli Beer took a simple idea and turned it into a massive life-saving enterprise. Read these pages to find out how.”
“I really hope that this book is read by many people and that it inspires them to push through whatever challenges they are facing and achieve their dreams, especially children,” said President and Founder of United Hatzalah Eli Beer. “Children have so many dreams and people tell them it can’t happen. I want everyone to read this book so that they understand that childhood dreams can happen and that anything is possible.”
The book is available for pre-order now at the following link: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1422633071.
