It is not often that the YWN Editorial Board opines on communal concerns, and it is only following deep contemplation and discussions with the relevant stakeholders that we weigh in on the following matter – and only due to the jarring fact that it is a literal life-and-death issue.
As most are already well aware, a group of individuals are launching a new frum EMS squad they have named the Jackson Jewish Volunteer Ambulance Service (JJVAS), after being legally denied the ability to hijack the name “Hatzolah.” Contrary to its altruistic-sounding name, the terrible facts are that the kehilla it ostensibly serves will pay for it in yiddishe blood.
To begin with, the JJVAS is one that was arguably formed out of spite rather than goodwill. Its founder, Yitzchok Birnhack, was rejected from the legitimate Hatzolah branches in Boro Park and Flatbush, and he subsequently laid the plans to open his own emergency service, in what appears to be a swipe at the decades-long establishment that has heroically saved tens of thousands of lives for nearly half a century.
Furthermore, Birnhack’s organization is unfettered from rabbinical oversight, despite its insistence otherwise. When the rabbanim of Jackson, NJ, gathered in June of 2022 to discuss whether a new Hatzolah-esque organization should be opened to service the burgeoning kehillos that call Jackson home, the result was unequivocal opposition to the launch of a new emergency service.
The JJVAS paid no heed to the call of the rabbanim of Jackson, instead relying on the approbations of unnamed and unknown “rabbanim” whose identities are still a mystery to those who could one day unwittingly rely on them.
Moreover, the JJVAS is already notorious for its lackadaisical approach to vetting prospective members. The only qualification that appears to be a requirement is EMT certification – integrity, maturity, professionalism and experience isn’t on its radar. This will result in prohibitively young and immature “hockers” responding to deadly serious and intensely personal calls for emergency assistance.
Most importantly, and as briefly noted above, the JJVAS poses a very real threat to the lives of frum Jackson residents. Firstly, the JJVAS does not have a Paramedic program, nor is it able to have medics in the state of New Jersey, as it has no affiliation with a medic service. When the JJVAS is confronted with a scenario that immediately requires medics, they will have to await backup from Hatzolah of Central Jersey or EMS, and countless patients will inevitably die.
Additionally, Hatzolah of Central Jersey already services the entirety of Jackson. It currently has 30 members – including medics – and 4 ambulances stationed in Jackson alone, not to mention some 200 additional EMTs, paramedics and doctors nearby, and new prospective Jackson members are being constantly vetted.
Opening a second emergency service will do nothing but complicate response times, sow chaos in emergency situations that require order and a chain of command, and as a result, will literally cost someone their life.
Also necessary to take into account is the years of groundwork by Central Jersey Hatzolah to become recognized and understood by non-Jewish emergency agencies in Jackson, including the police and fire departments. Having rogue volunteer ambulance service members insert themselves into emergency situations has the potential to undo and destroy the tremendous working relationship Hatzolah of Central Jersey has formed, enabling them – and only them – to be given priority access to patients in need.
The Jackson Jewish Volunteer Ambulance Service is an illustration of individuals placing their egos over others’ lives, and for the sake of our brethren, it must be swiftly relegated to history’s dustbin.
The YWN Editorial Board
(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)
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81 Responses
I fully appreciate the concern for the established medical services of a parent company, here, namely, Hatzolah, nevertheless something is lacking in this very well presented article.
Stated, Hatzolah of Central Jersey has 30 members and 4 ambulances: Jackson Township is 100.5 square miles. 30 members with 4 busses is far short to accommodate the need. It could take well over 30 minutes at excessive speed to reach the farthest boundaries of the township. That need needs to be addressed. JJVAS is NOT the answer. Hatzolah must come up with a suitable solution.
C’mon we all know that Hatzala is an exclusive boys club. Only the “cool” guys get in regardless of anything else.
This is exactly what Bergen Hatzalah has done in Teaneck and Bergenfield:
Bergen Hatzalah paid no heed to the call of the rabbanim of Teaneck & Bergenfield
Most importantly, Bergen Hatzalah poses a very real threat to the lives of Teaneck and Bergenfield residents.
Opening a second emergency service (Bergen Hatzalah) will do nothing but complicate response times, sow chaos in emergency situations that require order and a chain of command, and as a result, will literally cost someone their life.
Bergen Hatzalah, including their founders and coordinators, is an illustration of individuals placing their egos over others’ lives, and for the sake of everyone in Teaneck and Bergenfield, it must be swiftly relegated to history’s dustbin.
“and countless patients will inevitably die.”
Why are frum publications unable to avoid hyperbole? Your editorial sounded overwrought and unbalanced from the beginning, and this kind of language makes it impossible to take seriously.
It’s been a few years since the influx of people moving to Jackson has started ,I have yet to see new members introduced ,as the article claims that “new prospective Jackson members are constantly being vetted” well why don’t I see any new members introduced,if you’re so worried about Jewish blood, as stated in the article too ,
Talk about “illustration of individuals placing their egos over others’ lives, maybe that’s a great example?
I’m not disagreeing with anything in this article. I don’t know enough about the situation to form an opinion. All I know is, it is very one-sided. It would be beneficial to present both sides of the argument in order to have a more nuanced and balanced discussion on the subject matter.
” Its founder, Yitzchok Birnhack, was rejected from the legitimate Hatzolah branches in Boro Park and Flatbush” . Despite all the greatness of Hatzolah ,why isn’t the internal politics of Hatzalah mentioned ??? The bad publicity that Ezras Nashim had to endure till the Gedolim gave their blessings is but an example !!!
Just politics and control. Hatzola decides who to accept based on connections not competency . Competition is good. Shomrim vs shmira, yochud hatzola vs mada. If someone wants to help and isn’t asking for anything- why stop them.
YWN upset about hockers.
the rabbanim must put out a kol korei on this and put in cherem anyone who joins and tell their kids they will be expelled.
No offence…but, I’m totally not convinced yet.
“Let the People Decide”
As an EMT for 10 years serving in various 911 systems including in NJ. I feel obligated to correct some of the misleading statements made in this letter.
1. Even if JJVAS was formed with its only motive being that of spite to Hatzolah, I would argue that it doesn’t matter to me and I would argue must people the only thing that matters is action, ultimately the only thing that matters is will JJVAS be providing BLS services to those that call.
2. I can’t speak to JJVAS hiring practices but what I can speck to is the DOH of NJ standards which regulates the training all EMTs and Paramedics must take in order to be granted the prospective license, every EMT regardless of if they will work for Hatzalah of a non Hatzalah agency will have the same training and meet the same minimum standards.
3. I take extreme offense to the statement “This will result in prohibitively young and immature “hockers” responding to deadly serious and intensely personal calls for emergency assistance.”
Excuse me the state allows anyone over the age of 18 to become an EMT and thousands do and provide care with the utmost care and professionalism, to just lump all of these providers in to one basket of “hockers” shows an extreme lack of understanding what it is EMTs do, or at least an extreme prejudice against the young in our community as somehow less than that of the young in the rest of the world.
4. “the JJVAS poses a very real threat to the lives of frum Jackson residents. Firstly, the JJVAS does not have a Paramedic program, nor is it able to have medics in the state of New Jersey”. Firstly, Outside of Lakewood Hatzalah no BLS agency has their own paramedic services including other Hatzalah’s in the state of NJ such as Passaic or Bergen Hatzalah’s yet I do not see the YWN screaming from the rooftops that they are going to lead to the deaths of patients they treat.
As I stated above in NJ no BLS agency provides ALS services. ALS Servies are provided by the local hospitals under a system which in NNJ is called Micomm, in different parts of the state they have different names. What happens for private non 911 agencies (which JJVAS would fall under) when the dispatcher takes the call they try to screen the nature of the call and if the call falls within the category of needing a Paramedic they place a call to the local ALS system for a paramedic and that system dispatches a paramedic to scene.
5. “Opening a second emergency service will do nothing but complicate response times, sow chaos in emergency situations that require order and a chain of command, and as a result, will literally cost someone their life.” I am not really sure how this would happen if one needs emergency medical services and calls JJVAS how would that cause longer response times? As far as Chain of command? what command are you talking about Hatzalah would have theirs and JJVAS would have it’s own.
I think this is a non story. If people need emergency services they will call the organization they feel will give them the best care. Also, people will donate funds to the organization that will provide the best care. Time will tell if this start up ambulance service will be good for the community or not.
So is the Jackson Hatzolah website really JJVAS?
Yaapchik: “Hatzolah of Central Jersey has 30 members and 4 ambulances”
You only quoted part of the statement.
The statement reads “Hatzolah of Central Jersey has 30 members – including medics – and 4 ambulances STATIONED IN JACKSON ALONE.”
The primary requirement of any emergency response organisation is qualified members. YWN seems to imply that all the JJVAS volunteers will be qualified. Not even all Hatzola members have the same level of skills; not all hospital ER medics are as well qualified and experienced as others. Whilst some level of halachic oversight is needed thi is not a new Beis Din opening up. I do not live in Jackson but the YWN opinion piece seems very anti while lacking in detailed reasons why this is such a problem. Surely a qualified medic, even if not the most experienced and highly qualified volunteer, is better than no-one?
FIRST OF ALL I PERSONALLY KNOW A PARAMEDIC THATS IN THIS GREAT Organisation AND HE IS FROM THE TOP PARAMEDICS AROUND, and he is from the biggest first aid/EMT/PARAMEDIC TEACHERS AROUND…..!!!!! AND YESHIVAH WORLD HAS NO RIGHT IN THE WORLD TO NOT ONLY TALK BAD ABOUT A Organisation THAT SAVES LIVES BUT ALSO ABOUT IT’s founder….!!!! איך בין מוחה לשון הרע
STOP WITH THE LOSHON HARA!!!!!!!!
Can someone please explain the rumors that is this all money related, now that any EMS service can bill insurance and that Hatzalah in lakewood had over $600,000 of insurance billing collected on their last IRS Tax Filings? And that the new agency want control of these funds themselves.
apdsvys, I understand what you said and what the article said! The fact is that Jackson Township is 100 square miles!!! 30 members PLUS THE FOUR MEDICS, and 4 ambulances still cannot adequately cover the area! Have you a clue how big an area 100 square miles is???
same dance different hall for birnhak he doesn’t care about no one except himself as different from Hatzalah which is totally done with mesiros nefesh becareful of birnhak he is dangerous lashon harah it might be I am not a posek but the truth it is when the rabbonim say there is a problem there is a problem as history has shown birnhak is a control perverted oriented person
These people have every right to open their own organization. Nobody is forcing anyone to support them or to use them. But I do have an objection to them calling themselves “Jewish”. This creates a big chillul hashem. It feeds into the goyish stereotype of us that we are only interested in helping our own. It also broadcast to the general public that we are not a unified community. It also shows their poor judgment And is probably reflective of how they run their entire organization.
In Brooklyn there is a competing organization to Hatzalah that admits Members who would otherwise not be accepted by Hatzala. It is called East midwood volunteer ambulance. A well run organization that actually cooerperates with hatzala many times.
What I have learned from this article is something I’ve suspected for a long time, based on little pieces of loshon horoh I’ve picked up here and there. It seems that possibly Hatzolah is one of those exclusive clubs that unfortunately some of our mosdos and organizations in the frum world are, where it is who you know and not what you know, that will determine whether or not you will be allowed to join. It is going to take more than chofetz chaim heritage foundation videos to fix this problem, which exists, even if I’m wrong about Hatzolah in particular.
Yitzchok Birnhack has every right to create an Ambulance Service in Jackson, just like Yocheved Lerner had every right to create Ezra Noshim Ambulance Service in Brooklyn area, which is doing excellent work, and they are both NOT bound by the Rabbis of Hatzoloh.
Any Rabbi or anyone else who even just has a notion that Hatzoloh has an exclusive monopoly, is so mistaken & wrong.
@Theoneandonlyone
Before we get to the pile of garbage you wrote, let’s stop and think about your username here, it just shows how much you think of youself!!! Emt for 10 years,yay!!!! Oh and let me guess your running with EMS for 10 years cuz you a reject from hatzolah???
It’s SO SAD to read this article and see that YWN has stooped so low to write an article that is so biased! They were obviously PAID OFF by the pathetic egotistical men that want full control and power and don’t care about peoples lives and response times. If Jackson decided to open another Tomchei shabbos would YWN also write this kind of article bashing people who want to help the community? Doesn’t Lakewood have enough people to service, why do they need control of all SURROUNDING areas??!! I have lost all my trust in YWN and it just reminds me of the US government and CNN for all their controlled and corrupt news! May we see the coming of moshiach very soon and save us from this dishonesty!
Calle Goldberg, you clearly have no idea what you’re talking about. Bergen Hatzalah services *Bergen County* not just Teaneck and Bergenfield. Englewood and Fair Lawn have had their volunteer ambulance services scaled back significantly. They’re not fighting for the same calls, and they get there faster to triage because they’re in the community rather than waiting for dispatch. You don’t have to like it, but you can at least get your facts straight…
I don’t usually respond to comments or articles on line, but I am absolutely horrified with some the of the comments, and I feel the need to respond as someone that happens to have some knowledge about this field.
1) #Yaapchik commented about Jackson being 100 square miles. Hatzolah does not cover miles, they cover communities. As the Jackson area spreads CJ Hatzolah has added ample members to each neighborhood, including as far out as the Rubashkin area. By saying it would take 30 minutes for anyone to get there, you obviously have no idea how Hatzolah operates, with 1st responders that have full sets of equipment including defibrillators and epi pens for life saving emergencies. Royal Grove area which is a few miles into Jackson has 6 members and it’s own ambulance.
#Theoneandonlyone commented that no other squad in NJ has paramedics, and they really on whichever company covers that area. Just to make it clear. Hatzolah has its very own 30 paramedics, some of which are stationed in Jackson. Read this part very slowly and carefully, “THERE IS NO PARAMEDIC UNIT STATIONED ANYWHERE IN JACKSON”!! The 2 closest units are one truck in Lakewood and one truck in Freehold. A minimum of 15 minute ETA “if they’re not currently on a different call”.
So, just that thought alone should be enough to state that yes, opening this new company would in fact place people’s lives in danger.
A. Stone
This is loshon hora, motzi shem ra with clear intentions to damage a possible competitor. The purpose is to save lives. People can choose who they want.
Why are the comments being controlled? I tried posting my opinion that I don’t agree with this article and it won’t let it go through?? Seriously!!!
Martinsburg My son is a proud member of Jackson Hatzolah
For the record people have died waiting for responders in Jackson ,so the need for quicker local response is a true need ,and regardless YWN shouldn’t have put this article naming a private individual and assuming his intentions,and the most important point, @YWN get your facts straight before making claims
There are numerous Paramedics that signed up,and Hatzolah denied countless members who moved from Brooklyn and other cities who were active Hatzolah members in their hometown,
@A. Stone, I think you missed my point. My point is , All other BLS agencies in NJ do not provide Paramedic services and yet no one is saying that this somehow is placing their patients’ lives at risk. Yes, I understand that Lakewood Hatzalah is an exception to the rule, and they do have their own paramedics but that wasn’t my point.
@Rightminded I think you should change your name to leftbehinded. it would be more appropriate given your mental acuity. however, you did write “Before we get to the pile of garbage you wrote” well since you never got to the quote pile of garbage, I wrote I am not really sure I have what to respond to Or was your intent to throw an ad hominem attack instead of a well-reasoned and actuate response to my agreements, which would make sense given your aforementioned mental acuity.
@A. Stone, Just to make a point of clarification in the rest of NJ paramedics are not assigned to a given township or municipality, they are assigned by regions. Jackson is no different than any other township in the State with regards to EMS services. So I would argue that JJVAS opening up a BLS agency doesn’t place anyone in any more danger than before they opened.
Did YWN interview Birnhack directly asking why he is starting another service? If only hearing from one side then the article carries little validity.
In the past year alone, CJ Hatzolah has B”H successfully responded to 1000 calls in all 4 corners of Jackson Twp, with excellent response times.
i dont usually write in or get involved
Im personally aware of someone who wasnt accepted by hatzala of lkwd though being a NY hatzala member for many years and moving into one of the neighboring towns (at the time 5 years ago) was under served (especially during the day time hours where most members arent available)
hatzala wasnt worried about possible loss of life when they denied those neighborhoods the benefit of having a closer member who was available on call 24-7
its very obvious from your article which is obviously one sided and biased (to what end i dont know)and is a canned response coming from hatzala as its word for word on all the other frum websites.
its long been known that lakewood’s hatzala or other wise known as hatzala central nj (they were worried about others opening so they changed the name!) is a private exclusive club.
many mature and responsible licensed EMTS are denied entry every year though they may live in out lying areas and neighborhoods. as in almost every other organization “its who you know not what you know!”
if you are true and faire you wouldnt have posted this article before speaking to the person who you maligned in your article as well as many others (even current hatzala members ask them how many years they waited until hatzala accepted them) who will confirm and corroborate what i wrote
I appreciate and agree not everyone can be accepted, but as is well known hatzala of lakewood goes way above and beyond when it comes to accepting new members. This perhaps is what caused this neighborhood to start their own private ambulance service
not taking sides…but to those that said its lashon hara and motzei shem ra…YWN are not stupid…they probably spoke to alot of rabbonim also, who want to remain anonymous! again not justifying anything…lets wait till the dust settles down!!!
And there are no hockers in Hatzallah? Give me a break!
Why write names? Just why?!
As I read both sides of this (not sure what to call it) my humble opinion is this simple; as with all aspects of our lives we always adhere to Daas Torah. In this case the rabbanim of Jackson are the ones and the only ones that should be making this call (no pun intended) if to allow there to be another EMS volunteer service alongside Hatzolah and whatever they decide regardless of your own position on this sensitive topic- their ruling is what carries the day and that should be the final decision for everyone…
An Observation: All posts in favor of the new service contain one or both of the following:
1) Complaints and lashon ha’ra backed with few facts, half and misleading facts, or worse, completely fabricated “facts.”
2) No actual replies to the questions raised by the posters who are against the formation of the new organization, only anger and accusations. I had my doubts about Jackson Hatzalah UNTIL, that is, I read this article and the comments posted below i.
Disclosure: the founder of YWN is/was a hatzloah member in flatbush…..read into it what you’d like.
This whole brew haha reminds me of this joke, they took a survey of the 5th grade, 95% of boys wanted to be hatzlah members when they grow up, 90% of them grow up.
For anyone wondering what was meant by the Gemara that says in the times of Churban Bayis Sheni they were Osek Batorah and Gemilas Chasadim but there was Sinas Chinam between them.
This article is exactly how Gemilas Chasadim and Sinas Chinam looks!
Noone has a monopoly on any form of chesed!
Shame on you YWN
This is pure diarrhea. I know firsthand a True story.
This guy called his doctor because everyday he had a massive bowel movement at 7 am. The doctor said awesome whats the problem?
I get up at 8 am everyday!
#Theoneandonlyone I am not sure if I am reading correctly. You are insinuating to possibly take away an area that is currently covered by a Hatzolah that has full-time ALS and BLS provided and to potentially give it to a new small company that definitely does not have any paramedics not to mention that the majority of their EMTs will probably start without any experience at all.
It is impossible to take the editors board of YWN seriously, after all of the infantile headlines they affix to their otherwise serious articles.
Barn owl
No wonder ywn is so against new hahaha orgs
@barn owl: Dono about a hatzalah member but he is definitly a “hocker”
I’m not sure this was the intended effect, but I’m more inclined NOT to call Hatzolah now than I was before. Without knowing any of the facts, this article is petty, blatantly skewed and speaks more to regurgitating hate of old ages rather than actually trying to do what’s best for the klal. I have no clue who is “right” or “wrong” here but this puts YWN and Hatzolah squarely on the wrong side of the fence. Either write better articles or don’t write them at all. Even CNN writes more balanced articles than this. Frothing about “hockers”, “rogue ambulance services”, “yidishe blood”, “history’s dustbin” and on and on just makes more problems/hate than it benefits anyone. Our history has too much of that already. Do better YWN.
dono about hatzala member but forsure a “hocker”
YWN-“The only qualification that appears to be a requirement is EMT certification”
ME-“You mean they don’t also have a computer science degree???!!” How can we possibly trust them???
YWN Editorial = CNN Editorial
Most of the arguments made in this opinion piece could have been arguements against opening any new hatzala, including the original in the 1970s.
Most, if not all hatzalas start off at the BLS level before expanding to ALS.
No one ever suggested that they should not open because paramedics were not tiered into the system.
Confusion and chain of command?
Perhaps YWN should try to shut down ichud hatzala in Israel for creating chaos at every level when they respond en masse to a sprained ankle? At the end of the day, ichud H. has saved peoples lives, despite the balagan they bring to the table. And the only reason they needed to start in the first place was because MDA did not make enough of an effort to listen and fix the problems before the ichud founders saw a need to fill.
And so it seems here-If you dont want competition to open, pay attention and don’t disenfranchise talented people who have a ratzon to help those in need.
Because this is what it looks like when you do.
I think the suits or the shorts rather at ywn don’t want to see nypd vs jjvac at cyclones stadium, they want nypd vs harzalah only
C’mon man, is that yoisher. I wanna seen Birnhak whoever that is, to crank one out off the nypd.
To many people need the hatzalah hot shuls but we can get gov scholarships become doctors and the sweetness life
H is for hatzalah and for hockers
Does YWN have any “rabbinical oversight”? Just wondering. (Also wondering if this comment will be allowed through.)
Was this reviewed first by ywn world international headquarters?
Shouldn’t have mentioned names. In poor taste and makes the article look shrill and biased. Not knowing too much I came away from this suspending judgment due to your tone.
1. Maybe Hatzalah Central Jersey doesn’t sufficiently cover Jackson, as the community continues to grow and develop?
2. At the same coin, Hatzalah Bergen County broke community norms when there were long established volunteer ambulance corps serving Teaneck and Bergenfield.
3. Can we also call out the corrpution where a certain hatzalah uses public funds to have an exclusive simcha hall?
Let’s sum this up in a simple way (and hope this goes by the moderator).
Like every organization and service, especially in our world, YWN is also beholden to various people, opinions, agendas, etc. It’s obvious that this article was written with one purpose only: to garner the over 40 comments and heated arguments it did. Whether the opinion stated is right or wrong, whether it’s well-researched or not, properly balanced or not, is irrelevant. It’s not supposed to be a piece of proper journalism. It’s an op-ed, just bylined by the editors themselves, whomever they may be. And it did its job well. Got a bunch of readers to spew half-opinion half-wishful thinking arguments, with a small spatter of real info, which was lost in all the noise.
Good job YWN!
Only next time, can you try to keep the rabble-rousing to other times of the year, not during Ellul?
BarnOwl
Wrong. Not in Hatzolah for 15 years at least, AFAIK.
On a side note: the litmus test will be, what will JJVAS do if they have no response or a seriousdelayed response in a minutes-count situation? Will they call Hatzolah or 911?
I am all for competition so long as it doesn’t hurt the other organization and doesn’t interfere with the beat interest of the patient.
Hatzolah should give JJVAS a chance. Maybe they’ll do just fine and use Hatzolah as backup for ALS and when they have no adequate response.
If, however, JJVAS calls 911 to spite Hatzolah that would be a breach of public trust (for those who don’t know the ALS/BLS nuance) and a reason to boycott them.
Ezras Nashim, is a bad example. They are mostly useless and proved it themselves. Response time is pretty bad. And they’d rather call 911 for backup than call Hatzolah which shows that the whole Tznius issie was all but a cover. 911 or Midwood doesn’t send female-only EMTs or medics.
That being said, Hatzolah is not perfect. But making everyone happy is a double edged sword. Taking in every shmuck who wants to join is not reasonable. Bowing to extortion, as was done in Tom’s River, isn’t much of a solution either. Being an “elite club” is pretty much the only way to do it. There’s no way around it. Klal Yisroel is too divided for everyone to agree and accept the ruling of one Beis Din or Rav regarding Hatzolah.
Nu nu one of the many ppl marginalized by coordinators over the years did something so he can use his talents to serve the community….
(Disclaimer,The rank and file Hatzolah members are tzadikim as are some coordinators….)
“The founder of YWN is/was a hatzloah member in flatbush”
And he also was seen purchasing a combination cholent, kugel, and kishka plate on a recent Thursday night. Should we therefore assume he is a promoting opportunities for his cardiologist friends??
Isn’t competition good for business? If all responders are duly qualified, why oppose additional services for the community?
I am used to YWN hyperbole, but this article was comical. The vast majority of points made range from overblown to downright erroneous. That being said, it’d be MUCH better to have one consolidated service under one emergency number. Both agencies should have come to an agreement to provide unified services to the community. Perhaps they still can if everyone puts their ego’s away. NJ’s towns are too close and intermeshed geographically to have different agencies with different emergency numbers. Look at the fracas Linden has caused by breaking away from Union County. (curiously no one raised a ruckus or wrote articles about them, And no one even deigns to mention Hatzolah of North Jersey……)
Ultimately, I wish for all these services to never be needed, and that all responders should always enjoy their time with their families instead of going on calls. At the end of the day, your responders will always be a mix of mature and immature, experienced and not. Not even the venerated legacy Hatzolahs are immune from that.
Perhaps someone should start a new Hatzalah of Lakewood. When I called them recently for a serious call on early Friday evening, so no traffic, it took them SEVEN minutes for the first unit to arrive!
As someone who lives in jackson i would not call them.
I do think this article is going a little far, anyone can open whatever they want of no-one calls they will dissappear. And yes everyone knows that hatzolah chaveirim… are exclusive club.
As an outsider the concepts I see used often are, “We are a community of Bnei Torah”
“We follow Daas Torah” “We go to our Rabbonim for guidance”
It would seem if the Rabbonim (to be Menschlich) would let the new service know they will tell their Kehellos not to use them & if/when they go live the Rabbonim again tell the KEHELLOS
Why doesn’t YWN name the Rabbi’s that approved this post? You accuse this organization of hiding behind unnamed Rabbi’s and then proceed to do the exact same thing!
I live in Jackson NJ, and I’m a paramedic in the 911 system for 28 years. I would like to understand how an introduction to a new ambulance service will endanger the lives of the residents of Jackson. I think that a quicker response will only make the difference some need in real serious emergencies. That is something Hatzalah can’t guarantee the residents of Jackson. I also think that the decision should rest with the person making the call.
I would like to see this through in all ways and I wish them nothing but success.
In regards to saying that ONLY Hatzalah are well trained individuals. I believe every box of apples has some rotten ones. Lakewood just far too many…
I believe YWN should have a follow up to this article by getting the heads of both organization together for a live debate, to argue the pros and cons to a new hatzalah organization, This debate should be held in the presence of robonim sitting in and let the final ruling be seen publicly. And of course should YWN be required to ask mechila, this public forum would be the perfect opportunity.
Medic24
Nobody claimed that “ONLY Hatzolah has well-trained members”. We are no different (training-wise) from any other ALS BLS provider. Some techs are good some are not so good.
After getting a briefing from someone I trust, about the new organization’s leadership, I would strongly suggest Hazolah keep quiet and let it run its course.
Moreover, no organization can operate with an every-emt-is-welcome policy. It won’t work. It doesn’t work. It takes more than just passing th EMT exam to actually be able to do this properly.
Eventually the JJVAS captains/coordinators will exclude someone (boys club?) who will invariably open a 3rd organization to mend his bruised ego. It’s not a game. And it’s not about money.
While I don’t like the tone of the article and the public name shaming. And I definitely don’t think Hatzolah has any “exclusive”, in any neighborhood. Something tells me that these new guys are not exactly here for pure chesed and community support.
I do hope to be proven wrong and I wish them Hatzlacha and Mazal in saving lives and making a kiddush Hashem.
PS
Hatzolah gets plenty of very serious calls were 5 minutes can make a difference between life and irreversible damage or even death ch”v.
The most significant point being raised – and one which nobody is fully denying – is the fact that oversight by Rabbonim/Poskim is going to be sorely missing in the new organization. True, there already are Hatzalah branches which are technically independent. But what bonds them all is that each have their local or their Kehilos’ / Chasidus’ Rabbonim who are designing/deciding protocol as it relates to halachah (both medical and Shabbos). Lakewood meets with their Rabbonim very regularly and hear shiurim in halachah and hashgafah. Other branches do the same. What is in place for the new organization.
As far as the site having rabbinic oversight they do btw
i think the rabbis name is boteach sam boteach
I wanna do my חובת מחאה on this article.
You can rest assured. This article doesn’t bring נחת for the שכינה
I signed off on this editorial prior to release.
Rav Shmuel Boteach
Author, of the kosher series and Kosher Lashon Horah
I would like ywn to produce atleast one more juicy piece of lashon horah prior to the yom hadin.
They are a joke. They tried calling the County to be part of their dispatch system and County had no idea who they were.
This could be the perfect opportunity to get back at YWN for publicly embarrassing someone in public. YWN is most definitely getting hit with a law suit for Defamation. Probably one of the worst mistakes a news site can do. Especially one thats hated by the Jewish community.
Competition is good, and who cares what you have to say…