Sponsored by the Weisz Family, this life-changing initiative opens new doors of hope for widows and single mothers across Israel

United Hatzalah opened its latest IMAH (Inspiring Mothers at Hatzalah) Phlebotomy Course, a transformative 35-hour training program designed to equip widows, divorcees, and single mothers with professional certification in phlebotomy, the vital skill of drawing blood for medical testing and care.

This new cohort is the first IMAH training course since Operation Rising Lion, a poignant reminder that health and healing extends beyond the battlefield into our daily lives. This course is especially open to women who were recently widowed by the current war in Gaza.

IMAH is more than a vocational program, it’s a lifeline that crosses socio-economic and cultural segments of Israeli society. Registrants include Ethiopian, ultra-Orthodox, new Olim, and secular women ranging in age, from their late twenties to their sixties.

“The beautiful part about this program is that we are not only helping these women learn a skill, we’re helping them get jobs at some of Israel’s most prestigious healthcare facilities allowing these women to build a better future for themselves and their families during a very challenging time,” says Eli Beer, Founder and President of United Hatzalah.

Over the past two years, over 40 women have graduated from previous courses, and 18 have already secured gainful employment in leading labs, national health clinics, and prestigious hospitals across Israel. United Hatzalah continues to support graduates with personalized employment placement assistance, ensuring that each participant’s new skill translates into genuine independence and dignity.

“I recently spoke to the daughter of one of our new participants who expressed her family’s heartfelt gratitude ahead of the new course’s launch,” recalls Director of the IMAH Initiative Karen Arieli, who is herself a widow and a mother of six. “We are so grateful for this opportunity through United Hatzalah because for the first time since my father passed away, my mother can raise her head in pride for the promise of a better tomorrow.”