Sanctity of life plays a central role in Judaism, to the extent that
practicing Jews are permitted to violate the sanctity of the Sabbath to
preserve it.
From coordinating, training, funding, equipping, maintaining, and
responding – keeping Hatzalah running smoothly is anything but
simple. But in a community that values life above all else, there is
simply no price too high or effort too great.
Hatzalah is manned by an army of trained volunteers. At any given moment, our brave responders put their life
on pause to respond to emergencies, often leaving their families, jobs, children and warm beds to save a life.
Hatzalah EMS was founded in Williamsburg, Brooklyn by Rabbi Hershel
Weber in 1965, with a vision to improve rapid emergency medical
response in the community. The idea soon spread to other Orthodox
Jewish neighborhoods in the New York City area, and eventually across
regions, countries, and continents.
