A Symbol of Hope – The Work of the Red Cross in Israel

by Sydney Holt, American Red Cross volunteer contributor

T.D. & MDA Director
Chaim Rafalowski 

A simple symbol can say so much. For National Boss Day, I caught up with our boss, American Red Cross North Texas Region CEO, T.D. Smyers, about his recent trip to Israel for a joint leadership gathering with Magen David Adom, otherwise known as MDA, the Red Cross society in Israel. MDA has been officially recognized by the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) as Israel’s national aid society since 2006.

Smyers was one of a select group of CEOs invited to travel to Israel for an information exchange with our counterparts on the other side of the world. The relief workers in Israel were interested to hear from Smyers and the other CEOs about responses to catastrophic emergencies in major US urban centers. His biggest take-away from the experience: “Different symbols, same principles.” 

This short, but profound statement from Smyers as he recapped his experiences perfectly describes Red Cross’ efforts abroad. “Regardless of religious or political affiliation, socio-economic status, race, age or gender – Red Cross is in the business of helping people,” said Smyers. “And although our symbol differs from the MDA’s it represents the same in any disaster situation – hope.”

More about the efforts in Israel – 

• The Red Cross symbol as we know it was the original protection symbol declared at the 1864 Geneva Convention – it’s purpose being to introduce a uniform and neutral protection symbol
• The “cross” is not a Christian cross, but the inverse of the Swiss flag
• Two other largely recognized symbols throughout the world are the Red Crescent and the Red Crystal – these symbols are used in countries where the appearance of a cross may alienate some, such as majority Muslim populations

• MDA’s two main focuses are to provide emergency medical and blood services – they provide 99% of civilian and 100% of the military blood supply
• MDA has a very developed, robust disaster response force that leverages the use of newly-developed technologies such as personal communication devices with geo-location aiding volunteer response and mobile apps for the general public

Upon returning from Israel, Smyers is excited to share the lessons learned with Red Cross workers here in the states. 

To learn more about the ICRC and the American Red Cross's International Services, visit RedCross.org.

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Red Cross Connects Cousins – 76 Years Later

Elizabeth "Lily" Farkas was one of millions of people separated from her family amid the chaos and confusion of World War II. But thanks to a Red Cross search across international borders, she and a cousin connected after many decades.



Lily, who now lives in Sarasota, was a teenager in Hungary during the war, and recalled those as "God awful" times.



In 1945, the Russians came in to liberate Hungary from the Nazis, but when the Communists took over in 1949, liberation became domination and the Hungarian government was subordinate to Soviet control.



Hungarian students began demonstrating against the Communist government in 1956 but the Soviets sent in tanks and troops and defeated the Hungarian freedom fighters.Thousands of people died, more than 26,000 were put on trial, about 13,000 were imprisoned and about 300 were executed. Nearly 200,000 refugees escaped into Austria or Yugoslavia and eventually started new lives in other parts of the world.



Lily participated in the Hungarian Revolution and worked underground. She served 2 1/2 years as a political prisoner in Budapest and a prison in northeastern Hungary. Her husband, Imre, was sentenced to death but his sentence was later commuted to life in prison.



In 1956 Imre and other prisoners broke out of an infamous political prison in Vac, Hungary, three days after the revolution started. Imre and Lily were reunited in Budapest and arrived in the United States on Christmas Eve 1956. They have since had two daughters and three grandchildren who live in Holland.



Although Mrs. Farkas lost touch with her family in Hungary, a second cousin – Judit Bojthy Hajda – contacted the Red Cross to help locate her long lost relative after 76 years.



Cindy Desmond, Director of Volunteers, Client Services and Training for the Southwest Florida Chapter of the American Red Cross, spoke with Lily to inform her that her second cousin wanted to connect with her. Red Cross family tracing services help reconnect families who have been separated internationally by war and natural disasters.



"At first, Lily was hesitant," said Cindy. "Then the memories started to come back."



Now Lily corresponds with her second cousin, talking on the phone and sending photos to each other over the internet.



There are American Red Cross caseworkers at local chapters around the United States helping families locate missing relatives by working with the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and Red Cross and Red Crescent organizations in nearly every country around the world.



Once a family member is found, the Red Cross helps them reconnect. In the past year, the American Red Cross helped reconnect more than 4,200 families – bridging years of separation to renew critical links between new communities in the U.S. and their families around the world.



Holocaust and War Victims Tracing Center

Holocaust Tracing, Family Searches and Wartime Documentation

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