Family raises £10,000 for Hatzola with epic European car rally

An Edgware dentist and his three sons have raised an impressive £10,000 for their local branch of Hatzola from an extraordinary month-long car rally across Scandinava and Eastern Europe.

Dr. Wayne Hirschowitz and his three sons, Jonathan, Josh and David, decided to support the community charity that provides vital emergency medical services 24/7.

Driving a cramped Fiat Panda, they spent over three weeks navigating mountains, fjords, rivers and the Arctic Circle, all while aiming to reach 35 "poles of inconvenience" scattered across 16 countries.

These checkpoints, designated by The Adventurists, an organisation whose mission is “to create adventures where you don’t know what will happen tomorrow or if you’ll even make it”, were in some of Europe’s most remote and challenging spots.

The rally included 54 teams from around the world, and, completing the rally in 28 days, the Hirschowitz family placed 11th overall. “It was about challenging ourselves, but also about raising money for Hatzola, a charity we know well,” said Jonathan.

Along the way, the family also used the opportunity to explore their roots, visiting Lithuania to trace their Jewish heritage.

Jonathan said: "We visited mass burial sites, which was a powerful reminder of the Holocaust and the importance of understanding our history, especially with the rise in antisemitism today."

The rally also provided the family with valuable time together, said Dr Hirschowitz. “It was a dream come true to experience this with my boys as adults. We spent Shabbat in Estonia, by a river, leaving behind all material distractions and just appreciating the moment.”

In addition to the adventure itself, which tested their endurance, the family had a bigger mission – to raise vital funds for Hatzola. 

“Hatzola is a community charity that does sterling work, and we wanted to support them in a way that would make a real difference," said Dr Hirschowitz.

"We knew that funds raised would directly benefit the local community and not go towards admin costs. It’s a cause close to our hearts as we use the services aswell.”

The four men documented their journey through their Instagram page, 3 nuts and a bolt, where they shared their experiences with their community back home, who were right behind their fundraising efforts. “We were overwhelmed by the generosity of the community, especially the Jewish community in Edgware,” Dr Hirschowitz said.

Now back home, the family plans to hold a special ceremony to acknowledge the contributions to Hatzola and celebrate the success of their trip.