News and Events

Rambam Volunteer Receives Prestigious President's Award for Volunteerism 2024

Publication Date: 7/4/2024 9:00 AM

Rambam Health Care Campus (Rambam) in Haifa, Israel proudly announces that medical volunteer Nagham Hajj Ali has been honored with the 2024 President’s Award for her exceptional work assisting physicians at the hospital.

Haj Ali (L) receiving the President's Award for Volunteerism and (R) Close-up. Photography: Rambam HCC.Haj Ali (L) receiving the President's Award for Volunteerism and (R) Close-up. Photography: Rambam HCC.

Recently, Nagham Hajj Ali (20) from Shfar'am in Northern Israel received the esteemed President’s Award for Volunteerism in recognition of her exemplary volunteer efforts at Rambam. She has significantly contributed to various departments, including drawing blood in the B. Shine Rheumatology Unit and the Green-Wagner Department of Emergency Medicine. Her dedication and compassion have profoundly impacted both patients and staff.

Now in her second year of volunteering at Rambam, Hajj Ali began her journey working in the Department of Internal Medicine E. She explains, “Before I chose to volunteer, I was encouraged by all I’d heard about national service from friends and publications. I was debating what to study and do in the future, and the idea of national service kept coming up. It was a chance to contribute to the country, help people, and improve my Hebrew beyond the basics learned in school.” She continues, “I worked in various places but didn't find a fit, so I decided to join the national service at Rambam and started at the Department of Internal Medicine E. The staff welcomed me warmly, and today, I draw blood in rheumatology, the emergency room, and other departments. I try to make patients happy and put smiles on their faces.”

Being nominated for the President’s Award for Volunteerism came as a surprise to Hajj Ali. “The director general of the national service called to congratulate me,” she says. “My coordinator at 'Bat Ami' and Ilana Siman-Tov Dodeles, nurse in the Neurology Department and volunteer coordinator at Rambam, had recommended me. Out of 20,000 volunteers nationwide, they chose 29 individuals for this honor.”

The President's Award for Volunteerism, established 50 years ago by Israel’s fourth president, Ephraim Katzir, is an annual initiative in collaboration with the President's Residence and the Israeli Volunteering Council.

During the ceremony, President Isaac Herzog emphasized the immense privilege of recognizing the hidden light within Israeli society, represented by the volunteers' initiative, giving, and mutual responsibility. “The ceremony was exciting,” reflects Hajj Ali. “I went with my parents, toured Jerusalem, met the President as well as Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, and received a certificate of appreciation. Soon, I'll finish my service at Rambam and I'm already dreaming of the next step – nursing studies.”

The medical teams at Rambam are immensely proud of Nagham Hajj Ali's achievements and dedication, and look forward to her continued success and contributions to the field of healthcare.