Placements are made according to the needs of MDA, as well as trying to take into consideration the preferences of volunteers, when possible. Each MDA station can accommodate only a certain number of volunteers. The bigger stations such as Jerusalem, Tel Aviv and Haifa can take more overseas volunteers, than the smaller stations. The reason for this limitation is that only two-three volunteers and a driver can staff the ambulance. While large stations may have 8-10 ambulances per shift, smaller stations tend to have 2-3 ambulances on call per shift. The overseas volunteers join Israeli volunteers that work regularly at the station.
While we understand that you may wish to be placed in a particular city, one that you are acquainted with, or have family in, it is important to keep in mind that the main reason you have come on the program is to help MDA and the Israeli people. If you are placed in a station that is already full, you will not be accomplishing that goal.
Another important thing to keep in mind is that nothing in Israel is too far away. For example, if you are placed in Naharia, you are only 1 ½ hours away from Tel Aviv by train. Rehovot and Kiryat Gat are only an hour away from Jerusalem. While on the program you are required to do 5 shifts a week, so you can easily arrange to have two days in a row off to visit your family in other cities.
From our past experience as organizers of the program, the large majority of our participants request, and in some cases even insist, on being placed in the major cities. Also from past experience, the participants that enjoy the program the most, and get the most out of it are those who volunteer in the smaller cities. In the smaller stations there is more of a family atmosphere, and the overseas volunteers are welcomed more warmly and hosted frequently by Israeli families. In countless cases the same participants who insisted on being placed in Jerusalem and were placed elsewhere, said that being in a smaller community was the best part of their experience in MDA.
During the summer months (June-August) we generally have over 100 overseas volunteers in Israel at any given time. Each volunteer has his or her personal placement requests, and accommodating them all is impossible. Therefore we ask that you be understanding and patient, as well as open to different placement options.
During the year (September through May), we only place participants in cities where there is an absorption center in close proximity, unless participants are interested in arranging their own accommodations (in this case $70 will be deducted from the price of the program). During the summer months we open placement options in many additional cities, and provide accommodations in dormitories, hostels and hotels. Unlike absorption centers, these facilities are private, and therefore there is an additional charge for accommodations in these cities. If you are applying to the program during the summer months, additional information on the placement options will be sent to you.
The program organizers reserve the right to inform participants of their Israel placement after arrival.