Monsey, NY – When Jonathan Celnick moved to Monsey to live with his mother, he joined the local fire department. In Los Angeles, his father is the coordinator for the central emergency response team and this was one of Celnick’s dreams.
“Since I’ve been around fire fighters my whole life I knew it was something I wanted to do,” explains Celnick, 18, who works at Ramapo County Auto-Body off Route 59.
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He’s not alone. Ephraim Tauber is another busy Monsey teen who finds time to volunteer at Spring Hill Ambulance Corp. in Spring Valley, while attending Torah Academy of Bergen County and working part time at a local café’.
“I enjoy it. I’m crazy,” says Tauber, 17, who wants to become an emergency medical technician next year, when he turns 18. Inspired by a cousin, Oded Dashiff, who has been a Hatzolah medic for 12 years, Tauber finds intense satisfaction in his volunteer work.
While this sort of rescue work hasn’t typically been perceived of as “Jewish work” in the past, in Rockland County this isn’t the case. As the population here has become more Jewish in general, and more Orthodox in particular, the face of emergency services has changed to reflect the people who live here.
Both fire departments and Emergency Medical Service corps consist of tightly knit groups who work long hours together. They tend to reflect the make-up of those who live in the surrounding community.
“Our ambulance corp is like a melting pot – everyone gets along no matter what their background or religion,” says Steve Kaye, 66, captain of the Spring Hill Ambulance Corp for 20 years. Kaye, a resident of New City, describes himself as “Jewish, but not religious.” The squad he describes as 75 percent Jewish ranging from, “very religious to not at all.” This, he notes, simply reflects the changing Rockland demographics. [rocklandreporter]
Hey Grossberger, we are so proud. We always knew you’d be a big star one day! Keep safe!
Volunteer work and community service is honorable. Good article. Helping and caring about people is a good thing.
This is 2007!!! In this day and age it is unnecessary to remove your Yarmulka for a public service job – especially a volunteer. I daresay that those who remove their Yarmulkas do so to abandon their Yiddishkeit!
Check out the source of this article and see more photos of the Jewish boys all wearing Yarmulkas.
And, yes, it makes me proud. Doesn’t it?
http://www.jewishrockland.org/page.html?ArticleID=146010
woodmere has around 35 frum members. of which not all are really frum, just call themselves that to be percieved properly by there friends. its sad when you have to take off your yarmulke and tzitzit in this day and age. especialy when we are the majority in the five towns community. why is eating kosher bad, its hashems rule. we should all feel comfortable enough to be good yidin.
one thing for frum yidin to remember when joining your local fire department is that it still is an old boys club. always be proud of being jewish and dont cause a chilul hashem.
Go Odie!
Hey Avi! Way to go! Keep it up!
As communities change and become frummer and goyim move out who’s going to put out the fires or go out on EMS runs. In the 5 towns, it’s no different. in Lawrence-Cedarhurst we have 11 frum members while woodmere has close to 50. People need to take part in their communities and help out. Not everyone is meant to be a firefighter or EMT or Paramedic, but we should all give back to the community. I worked 9 yrs as an EMT/Pramedic for FDNY and my mother used to say not a job for a nice jewish girl. Guess what, I found the right guy anyways and got married. Now I live in Cedarhurst and I am still volunteering my time as a firefighter and paramedic. Being a member of Hatzolah is fine but there are other resources that need help too. And if you are a woman Hatzolah is out of the question.
What great activities for frum young men to be involved in.
Hey, that’s Grossberger.