Dec. 2025
Wendy Schneider

Seven years had passed since local geriatrician Dr. Bill Nisker last set foot in Israel, and the idea of returning filled him with mixed emotions. The pandemic, the war, the unending tide of grim headlines — all had left their mark. But his grand-nephew’s bar mitzvah was approaching, his niece wanted him there, and his sister was determined to see the mobile ICU they’d donated to Magen David Adom in their parents’ memory. In the end, family won out over hesitation.
It’s often said that more can happen in a week in Israel than anywhere else in the world — and for Nisker, that proved true. He never expected his visit to coincide with the release of the final hostages and President Trump’s historic address to the Knesset. Yet each moment — touring the Magen David Adom command centre in Ramla, people watching in Modi’in and Jerusalem, or sitting with family as history unfolded on screen — filled him with deep gratitude, relief, and joy.

The Magen David Adom National Command Centre, which happened to open  just two days after the traumatic events of October 7, 2023, oversees Israel’s blood supply and coordinates emergency medical response services across the country.

“It’s an amazing place,” said Nisker, describing how the fortified complex is built around an underground facility that houses ambulances, mobile units, and the national blood supply.

The site also features a memorial to the 17 Magen David Adom volunteers who lost their lives on October 7. Nisker was deeply moved to learn how the organization had mobilized in the chaotic days following the Hamas attacks. “From my niece’s point of view, it was very much a people-led effort,” he said. “Magen David Adom truly stepped up.”
For Nisker, the trip was meaningful not only as an opportunity to support his family but also as a chance to witness a defining moment in Israel’s recent history. His niece, who has been deeply involved in efforts to support the hostage families, joined the crowds at Hostage Square on the morning the final hostages were released. Nisker chose to stay behind, observing from her apartment as the events unfolded live on television. He spent hours following the coverage — including President Trump’s address to the Knesset, a moment, he noted, that was met with gratitude by many Israelis, even among those who disagreed with Trump politically. 

Overall, being in Israel reaffirmed Nisker’s belief in the country and, as he put it, felt like “a weight coming off my chest.” He believes it’s important for people to go “to see how enterprising and advanced Israeli society is,” he said. “You realize how different the reality is from the way it’s sometimes portrayed. For me, it was a big reaffirmation that Israel should be supported.”

The experience also brought him a personal sense of renewal. “Over the last few years, I’ve carried a kind of heaviness, almost a continuation of COVID. It’s like we went through that, and then October 7 happened right after. This was the first time I felt some light again — some hope.”