Local Teen Trains Overseas, Brings Lifesaving Skills To Morristown

MORRISTOWN, NJ — A rising senior from Morristown High School joined forces with United Hatzalah to train as a first responder in Israel alongside 49 other teens from across the United States and Canada.

Aron Goodman traveled to Israel this summer, where he became a fully registered emergency medical responder after graduating from the emergency medical response training course, which included a mass casualty incident (MCI) training drill in the Aminadav forest on the outskirts of Jerusalem.

Dozens of actors played injured passengers in the MCI drill, which simulated a bus crash. The recent EMR graduates treated the simulated injuries of the actors on the scene and assisted the ambulance teams that arrived in performing triage and transporting the "victims" to the hospital, Goodman said.

Following the exercise, Goodman began working regular ambulance shifts across the country, responding to medical emergencies.

“I joined this program because I wanted to be able to help people in an emergency, it’s about being a part of the community and giving back when I can," Goodman said.

Goodman was previously recognized as a student at Morristown High School for his efforts in developing Holocaust educational programs at the school.

Read more: Morristown Teen Recounts Grandmother's Holocaust Survival Story

Goodman also has a viral TikTok account with his grandmother, Tova Friedman, an Auschwitz survivor, where the videos cover everything from how Friedman and her family ended up in Auschwitz and how she survived to what her life was like after she was liberated.

"We cannot allow hate to thrive. And it starts with each individual taking action, from stopping a bully in school to shutting down anti-Semitic or racist jokes, to supporting Ukraine. Social media is now one of the most powerful weapons my generation has, that's why I chose to tell my grandmother's story on TikTok," Goodman said.

Goodman and his grandmother have made over 100 videos, garnered over 45 million views, and have over 452,000 followers.

Goodman, a senior at Morristown High School this year, hopes that his newly acquired skills as a trained first responder will help him grow in his passion for serving his community. "I plan to continue my training when I’m back in New Jersey,” Goodman said.