Lehigh Valley Jewish Physicians Come to Aid of Young Ethiopian Boy

ALLENTOWN – A group of Jewish medical professionals from the Lehigh Valley are stepping in to help save a young Muslim Ethiopian boy who was viciously attacked by a wild hyena in his home village.

In January, 8-year-old Abdulrazak suffered severe head and eye injuries in the attack. Six people were killed and 18 injured.

The hospital outside Addis Ababa was only able to dress the wounds, although Abdulrazak would need multiple surgeries to repair the extensive damage. A Jewish physician working in Ethiopia through the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee took note of the case and facilitated a transfer to Western Galilee Hospital in Nahariya, Israel, this month.

“We’re trying to perform all the surgeries we can. We’re saving his life and we’re taking him out of danger,” Dr. Masad Barhoum, director-general of the Nahariya hospital, told ISRAEL21c. “What the hyena did was catastrophic.”

The hospital vowed to absorb the majority of medical costs. It then turned to its friends around the world to make up the difference.

The Maimonides Society of the Jewish Federation of the Lehigh Valley, which has a long-standing relationship with the hospital, immediately decided to make a donation.

“Our partnership with the hospital goes back almost 30 years, when it was a small community hospital that we supported from the very beginning. Now, it’s a groundbreaking medical facility,” said Dr. Frank Tamarkin, Maimonides Society President.

“When we found out about the opportunity to help, it was really a no-brainer,” he added. “We will do whatever we can.”

More than 25 physicians from Western Galilee have come to the Lehigh Valley as part of the Maimonides Society’s Visiting Physicians Program and many Maimonides Society members have visited the Nahariya facility.

About the Maimonides Society

The Maimonides Society has been at the forefront of Jewish philanthropy, social action and education for members of the healthcare profession since its inception in 1985. The society was developed to foster a sense of common purpose and commitment among healthcare professionals to work towards the betterment of Jews wherever they may be.

In addition to contributing financially to the Jewish Federation’s Annual Campaign for Jewish Needs, members serve the local community by providing free medical care to those in need. Our Visiting Physicians Program has provided Israeli physicians the opportunity to come to the Lehigh Valley and learn valuable procedures while at the same time benefiting our community members with valuable collegial and social exchange.

About the Jewish Federation of the Lehigh Valley

Together with our donors, the Jewish Federation of the Lehigh Valley works to make our community and the world a better place. Acting on our core values of compassion, charity, generosity and responsibility, we care for people in need and inspire Jewish life and learning. As part of the Jewish Federation movement, the leading Jewish philanthropy in North America, we are able to advocate nationally and quickly mobilize resources in times of crisis.

Visit www.jewishlehighvalley.org to learn more.