The Hatzalah Heroes You Don’t Even See

You all know who they are: compassionate, gentlemanly, and oh so kind. They are the courageous volunteers for Hatzalah of Crown Heights who will drop anything at the flip of a hat to do whatever they can to help a fellow Jew in dire need.

With their unmatched devotion and commitment to serve whoever calls upon them—whenever and wherever—Hatzalah volunteers truly are the superheroes of our community.

But there’s another cohort of superheroes. Perhaps not as visible and certainly not as vocal, they are just as integral to Hatzalah’s life-saving efforts. A shadow army, this silent support staff are the foundation of anything Hatzalah members are able to do, and it is on their backs that Hatzalah’s record breaking responses and treatment are built.
We are talking, of course, about the devoted wives of each individual Hatzalah member.

Every time a volunteer runs out of the house to answer a call, a wife, a mother is left behind. “A planned vacation that was in the works for months and just about to take off? Nope, cancel that, my husband had to go answer a call.” “Bedtime with eight children—including supper, baths, homework, and story time—yep, that’s me. My husband is out on a call.”
After all, the nature of a Hatzalah call is completely random and always by surprise. At any given moment, a husband, father, worker, and provider must abandon ship and rush to the emergency. How long he’ll be away is almost never known, and his condition upon return is anyone’s guess.

All of this tremendous load is shouldered silently and happily by their noble wives. They may not drive with sirens blaring, but there’s plenty of blaring they must tend to at home. They may not be EMTs or paramedics, but they hold degrees in crisis management and selfless dedication.

All year round, they dedicate time, energy, and so many other resources to ensure their husbands are available for anyone who may ever need them. They sacrifice so much. This Lag Baomer, the entire community has the chance to join their cause and contribute to Hatzalah’s annual campaign.

These majestic and selfless women literally give their lives to Hatzalah the whole year round.

What will we give to Hatzalah?

Lag Baomer is your chance to answer that question.

Donate now! at hatzalahthon.com