Highlighting: “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) On March 16, three years to the day after Eli Beer was admitted to the intensive care unit at Miami University hospital, the COVID-19 survivor and founder and president of United Hatzalah of Israel, had his official biography released. The book, entitled “90 Seconds: The Epic Story of Eli Beer and United Hatzalah,” is being released to tell Beer’s story of how he went from being a helpless 5-year-old boy watching a bus blow up and dreaming of being able to help people, to running the world’s largest and fastest fully volunteer EMS service that has resulted in more than 5.5 million people being saved.
Published by ArtScroll and written by Rabbi Nachman Seltzer, the book tells the exciting story of how Beer started off with a few friends to create an organization that responds to medical emergencies in less than three minutes across Israel, with the dream of arriving at any medical emergency in Israel in 90 seconds or less.
The exciting story spans decades, shares detailed stories of international crises and herculean relief efforts, and survival, all while bringing people from different backgrounds, religions and nationalities together for one common cause—saving lives. The book has been touted as being a “heart-stopping drama that is filled with dramatic rescues and inspiration,” and takes the reader on an incredible journey behind the scenes of the founding of the fastest EMS organization in the world.
“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,” Beer said ahead of the book launch. “Children have so many dreams, and people are always telling them it can’t happen. People said the same to me. I want everyone to read this book so that they understand that childhood dreams can happen and that anything is possible.”
“90 Seconds” is the story of how a boy who failed in school 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 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 lifesaving enterprise. Read these pages to find out how.”
The book is available now on Amazon at the following link: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1422633071. Or on the Artscroll website, and wherever Jewish books are sold. Proceeds from the book go to support United Hatzalah’s lifesaving efforts in Israel.
