Paramedics Build Sukkah for Woman Injured During Construction

Preparations for the Sukkot holiday took an unexpected turn in Netanya when a woman in her 60s was injured by an iron bar while building a sukkah outside her home. A family friend assisting with the construction called emergency medical services after a bar fell and struck her head. Upon arriving, the Magen David Adom (MDA) paramedics provided initial medical treatment. Seeing that the woman's condition was stable and she did not require immediate hospitalization, the team decided to complete the sukkah construction themselves.

"I thought they were asking about the sukkah to know which bar hit me, but then I saw they were continuing to build it for me," the woman recounted, expressing her surprise and gratitude. Ben-El Amira, a senior paramedic who was first on the scene, stated that the team wanted to bring joy to the woman before the holiday after finishing their medical duties. The woman described the paramedics as "amazing people" who came to perform one mitzvah (religious commandment) of providing medical care and ended up performing another by building the sukkah.

The article also includes safety guidelines for building sukkahs, emphasizing precautions such as wearing closed shoes, clearing the area of potential hazards like snakes, ensuring clear access and exit routes, maintaining safe distances from electrical equipment and gas canisters, and avoiding open flames near them. For sukkahs on balconies, it stresses securing objects to prevent them from falling, and during construction, keeping children away from falling parts. It also advises caution when working at heights, avoiding contact with electrical wires, and securing the sukkah's covering against wind. Specific warnings are given about palm fronds, electrical connections, and hanging decorations, urging against standing on unstable surfaces and near exposed wires. The guidelines also cover fire prevention, including not leaving candles unattended and disposing of cigarette butts properly, and remind readers of the importance of knowing the location of nearby protected spaces and keeping access clear.