Background
Avraham Elimelech Firer was born in Bnei Brak, the fifth of nine children. His father, a teacher, immigrated from Galicia.
Avraham Elimelech Firer was born in Bnei Brak, the fifth of nine children. His father, a teacher, immigrated from Galicia.
Firer matches sick people with the best hospitals, physicians and treatments available for their conditions, in Israel and abroad. His organization, Ezra Lamarpeh, operates a fleet of ambulances, a special Intensive Care Unit for flying patients abroad, Home Care Network that cares for cancer stricken children and a Video-Conference System for international medical sessions. Firer is an ordained rabbi.
According to Harvard Medical School"s Doctor Ivo Janko, Firer and his organization provide integrated services unparalleled in the world.
The body of judges who awarded the Israel Prize to Firer described his tireless work and the inspiration offered by his "boundless energy, patience, cheerfulness and serenity, which are essential conditions for working with the sick, the elderly and the needy, who more than anything else need emotional support." Ezra LeMarpeh assists anyone who turns to it for help, without discrimination: Jews and non-Jews, religious and secular. Doctors accept Firer"s suggestions and referrals, and his office is open for consultation and advice at all hours of the day and night.
Firer"s work is purely voluntary.