JERUSALEM (VINnews) — A Magen David Adom senior medic whose son was murdered during the October 7 massacre experienced an emotional circle of closure when the first call he answered in a new ambulance dedicated to his son’s memory was to a woman in labor – near the entrance to the Kibbutz where his son was murdered. He and a midwife who joined him delivered the baby inside the ambulance, according to an Arutz Sheva report.

Zvi Rieder, whose son Dor was murdered at Kibbutz Be’eri on October 7, 2023, was dispatched to a pregnant woman in advanced labor near the entrance to Be’eri shortly after two new ambulances were dedicated to his son’s memory at nearby Kibbutz Sa’ad. One of the ambulances is specially protected against gunfire.

At the dedication ceremony, Rieder had expressed a hope that the vehicles would primarily be used to bring mothers and babies safely to the hospital.

“Like Dor, who knew how to extend a helping hand when needed, we hope that the new ambulances will be available to anyone who needs them,” Rieder said at the ceremony. “We pray that we will mainly transport happy and excited mothers giving birth.”

That wish was fulfilled almost immediately. When Rieder received the emergency call, he contacted his neighbor, Hila Barvitz, a professional midwife, and asked her to accompany him. As they drove toward Be’eri, Rieder told her that he hoped they would be able to deliver the baby in the ambulance.

“On the way to Be’eri, I felt Dor and knew that he was there with me,” Rieder recalled.

Near Kibbutz Alumim, the pair spotted a vehicle stopped on the side of the road. Nearby was Penina Yisca Biton, who was in advanced pregnancy and experiencing frequent contractions. Her husband, Daniel, was also at the scene.

Rieder and Barvitz quickly brought Biton into the ambulance and assessed her condition. They realized they would not reach the hospital in time and prepared to deliver the baby on the ambulance bed.

“Thankfully, a sweet and healthy baby boy came into the world,” Rieder recalled. “We then evacuated Penina Yisca and her son to the hospital.”

The delivery took on an additional emotional dimension after Rieder told the couple about the ambulance and the son whose memory it carried. Biton later said that after the delivery, Rieder gave the couple his telephone number and asked them to call him once she had recovered because he wanted to tell them “something amazing.”

“We were very curious and started thinking about October 7 because we are also residents of the Gaza border area,” Biton said. “When Zvi told us, our hearts were filled with excitement over the life we had brought into the world, alongside great pain. It was a very moving and chilling conversation.”

Eight days after the birth, Rieder attended the baby’s brit milah on the eve of Simchat Torah. The parents gave their son the name Mevaser Tov, meaning “Bearer of Good News.”

“Our baby brought good news to Zvika, brought good news on a road that suffered so much bloodshed on October 7, and brought good news to us,” Biton said at the ceremony.

For Rieder, attending the brit was deeply personal. “The birth in the ambulance is a gift for me,” he said. “Throughout the year I deal with my personal loss, but especially during this period of the Tishrei holidays, I feel the challenges more strongly. Coming to the brit on the eve of Simchat Torah was a circle of closure for me, and no less than a gift.”

“The ambulance dedicated to Dor helped bring life into the world, and on its very first call. This is proof that there is continuity for the Jewish people,” he added. “I am grateful for the incredible privilege I was given. May we only do good and hear good news.”

Dor Rieder HYD

Rieder’s experience on October 7 gives the story an especially poignant meaning. On the morning of the Hamas attack, he put on his MDA uniform and went out in an ambulance to treat and evacuate wounded people while the area was under attack. During the day, he learned that Dor, who had moved to Be’eri to work as a mentor for a child with special needs, was missing. The family later learned that Dor and his partner, Techelet Fishbein, had been murdered at the kibbutz. Dor was 21.

The two ambulances dedicated to Dor were donated by supporters involved in lifesaving efforts in Switzerland and Miami, according to Channel 13.

For Rieder, the first mission of the ambulance transformed its memorial purpose into something tangible: a vehicle carrying a memory of a young man who was killed while a new life was being brought into the world.

“I was so happy for the family and so moved for them,” Rieder said. “I am happy that I was given this incredible privilege.”