Jerusalem – The emergency and rescue organizations, the flagship of the ultra-Orthodox volunteer projects, are rapidly collapsing. The financial crisis, petty struggles between the groups themselves and the impossible competition from Magen David Adom are costing these organizations, based in Jerusalem, dearly.
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This week it was reported that Hatzolah Israel, the leading haredi rescue group, has nearly totally crashed after losing the sponsorship of Rabbi Moshe Ifergan (known as “the x-ray rabbi.”)
Ichud Hatzolah is also struggling to keep head above water, while ZAKA is constantly losing resources and volunteers.
Meanwhile Magen David Adom has launched an effort to take back the lead in the emergency services arena. This effort included the introduction of a new satellite-based communication system that allows MDA to track the volunteers closest to any emergency scene and summon them quickly.
The organization has also decided to ban its volunteers from working with other recue groups as well.
Officials at Ichud Hatzolah were extremely worried by these new moves, saying that when forced to choose between MDA or a haredi rescue organizations, most volunteers would likely choose to go with MDA. “Their aim is to wipe out the Hatzolah groups,” one official claimed.
I dont like to take sides- but last year when my 9 month old was choking i called MADA- and no one answered the phone!! i kept it ringing and ringing and only after the second time calling and leaving the phone ringing for a while- they answered!! meanwhile it was a guy from Ichud Hatzolah who happened to be outside who saved my son- who was in touch and go condition- MADA have a long way to go, sorting out their basic responsibilties before thinking they can manage dealing with all the emergencies- in a place like Israel.
I really don’t understand.
Wasn’t the primary goal of starting Hatzoloh a more speedy response than otherwise available? Anything that improves speed for MDA helps many people.
I am not a posek, I assumed that speed overides religious concerns so why the turf war?
This sounds really bad. I am an American Chareidi Jew. But I fear that without the Chareidi rescue groups, the chareidi Israelis are in danger of service falling, slower service to chareidi areas, and being brought to the wrong facilities.
How can we help them survive?
It sounds like There is where our money should be going …. certainly before we give another penny to MDO
Can someone publish the names and addresses of these chareidi rescue organizations so we may support them?
thank you VIN for a very timely bit of news.
This whole article doesn’t make sense. If the MDA is getting its act together and hatzola is no longer needed, then there is no need for Hatzola. So where’s the problem? Why ban volunteers from helping other organizations? What’s is the main point of Hatzola Israel? Is ti their own personal prestige or helping others?
Something is wrong here. Either the article is misleading or Hatzola Israel’s leadership exists for their own personal prestige and not for th epurpose of doing good. Something is wrong!
Zaka wastes huge amounts of money on globe trotting or getting involved in projects that may appear prestigious, but are not what Zaka is about. Let them stay home and do what they are supposed to do and they won’t go broke.
I meant MDA not MDO
that’s just what we need more fights bet. jews how about make some sort of agreement and help each other out
This sounds very strange. We all know about all the fights that there are internally and the splits that have happened as a result of this. But why is it that an oraganization or organizations that support the emergency services of MDA should be shunned or banned. There must be more to the story!?!?!
We need to support the chareidi sector or this will just be the start of other service cuts to the Heimishe community. HELP!!!!!!
Maybe if there weren’t so busy fighting with each other they’d have a better chance at staying afloat. The last time I was in E”Y there were even reports of members of one group stealing the other group’s scooters. Not to mention vandalism and other unpleasantries.
You can not be successful, no matter what your mission, if portions of your time and money are spent combating other Jews. The volunteers in Israel are great people… their leadership on the other hand must be removed if they have any interest in continuing their work.
i would audit thes org. starting with ZAKA they claim that they have no money but i guess that there is enough money to burn to fly to anywere in the world when the cameras are rolling why not just stay home and do your great work instead of “helping” the FAA and plane crashes and this is just one example of waisted yiddish gelt if these org. whould really mean it LSHEM SHOMAIEM they would sit down together and figure out were they can consolodate there services so that klal yisroel get the most for ther hard earned money instead of fighting and PR campaighns
Don’t give any money to any of them. First find out what they really do. Who needs 2 hatzolos. It’s a waste. There was a lot of funny stuff going on with the money. Also zaka. There needs to be total transparency. There’s not enough $ to waste on their mismanagement and need to make headlines.
At a dedication of a hospital in Poland all the gvirim were honored. They announced this one donated 5 beds and he gave 10 beds etc. The Chofetz Chaim then announced that the bochyrim of yeshiva ploni gave 15 beds [an incredible sum of money] and yeshiva almoni gave 12 beds etc. The rich guys couldn’t understand how yeshiva bochurim had any money at all.
The Chofetz Chaim explained that the torah of these bochurim was worth 10 people NOT getting sick.
We need to give more to yeshivos. Of course we need to give to other worthy institutions. But make sure they’re worthy. There are too many games going on with all these institutions.
Jews wake up!!!! Let’s save the charedi rescue organizations before its to late. MDA responds extremely slowly.
so first of all, i dont see a prob with having just one organization (MDA) do the work. but if/since unfortunately they are not performing well enough, there is absolutely nothing wrong with a second org (Hatzalah) doing some of the work – especially if they respond faster and are more accessable/ easier to reach. in fact, i think its a neccessity! we are talking about saving Jewish lives! the more ppl there are to help out there the better! Hatzalah is a very important and efficient organization that saves hundreds all over israel. i think its a must to support their wonderful work!
second, for those of you putting ZAKA down for flying out to other places – look at the positive a little. who said they are doing it ‘cuz of the cameras’?? i think its actually b/c unfortunately enuf, ZAKA in israel has the most experience dealing with such tragedies (and mass ones too). what do u think, the goyim in mumbai shouldve done the work?? and in new orleans, it was a HUGE mess. they are very experienced and went to help out other yidden.
Hatzolah was set up as the volunteer group of MDA. Since they began soliciting funds to run “independently” there have been endless stories of financial wrongdoing, including embezzlement. Hatzolah infighting is all over money and the whole thing is a Hillul HaShem. They should all disband or beg MDA to be allowed to operate as MDA’s religious volunteer organization and nothing more. Their equipment should come via MDA and its international friends groups. Once they are separated from raising/spending funds they will be free of suspicion and able to do the job they wanted to do – save lives.
Zaka is supposed to do one thing – collect body parts to fulfill halakha and a proper burial. They should stop posing for the cameras and also stop trying to play “paramedic,” leaving that to MDA.
Hatzolah is a very important org. By the way I have heard rumors about MDA is wasting a lot of money. Just go to ambunet.com and you can see almost new MDA ambulaces with less then 30k being sold back in the US. They keep saying they need new ambulances when they dont. There is coruption in MDA. By the way MDA hard bills, Hatzolah is a free service. MDA could never do what Hatzolah does. I spoke to a big boss in MDA he told me they let all first responder groups operate in Israel. Now that there is 2 Hatzolah orgs and all the fighting going on between themselves MDA relized that they can do it themselves and get all the kovod. I hope they work it out and let Hatzolah live. And yes ZAKA should stick to the maisim.
Reply to no 3
support ICHUD HATZOLAH. They are the only reliable organisation. there are 2 Hatzola in israel- Hatzolah Israel was cought up in a big fraud sceme and hence ICHUD HATZOLAH started. look up Ichud hatzolah on the web and support them!!!
hey the more help the better no?!!!! btw i think its time a second hatzolah should group up in new york .
#1 and #6 , MDA is trying to drive out its competition so that it can go back to its old lazy ways. If it succeeds in reimposing its legal monopoly any recent improvement in its performance will quickly disappear.