Posted to Jewish News on
by Sandy Eller - VosIzNeias

Plans for a women’s division of Hatzalah dedicated to assisting in emergency births have been scrapped as the women, after consulting with a respected Brooklyn rabbi, have instead decided to create their own independent volunteer service, titled Ezras Nashim, that will be staffed entirely by women.

Instead of Joining Hatzala, Women Form Ezras Noshim

by Sandy Eller – VosIzNeias

Plans for a women’s division of Hatzalah dedicated to assisting in emergency births have been scrapped as the women, after consulting with a respected Brooklyn rabbi, have instead decided to create their own independent volunteer service, titled Ezras Nashim, that will be staffed entirely by women.

Ezras Nashim spent more than half a year trying to join forces with Hatzalah, under the premise that many women who find themselves facing an emergency birth situation were uncomfortable with male emergency medical technicians, many of whom are community members and even neighbors.

VIN News has learned that, in a meeting that took place just prior to Chanukah, four women representing Ezras Nashim explained the need for women EMTs to be called in childbirth situations to noted Brooklyn Halachic authority Rabbi Yechezkel Roth, the Karlsburg Rov.

Several prominent rabbonim and numerous others were present at the meeting which took place at the Karlsburg Shul on 53rd Street in Borough Park.

“Rabbi Roth listened for at least an hour,” one person who asked to remain anonymous was present at the meeting told VIN News. “He explained that historically the ‘miyaldos’ (mid-wives) were women and we see in our community that in the Chevra Kadisha, we have men attending to men and women attending to women. Our shuls are separate, our weddings are separate and there is no reason for our emergency medical corps not to function in the same way, not only in childbirth but in other medical situations as well.

As for how to implement having women serve on Hatzalah, Rabbi Roth said that decision should be made by Hatzalah’s rabbinical advisors. Rabbi Roth concluded by telling the women that the miracle of Chanukah, among many others, happened through the hands of women, the geula will come through women and that Ezras Nashim, also being brought about by women, should be blessed with hatzlacha.”

Following Rabbi Roth’s advice, Ezras Nashim arranged a meeting with Hatzalah.

“Hatzalah’s board told us that their members did not want women joining Hatzalah and that any changes to Hatzalah could potentially cause delays in service, which was obviously something that nobody wanted,” attorney and community activist Ruchie Freier who represents Ezras Nashim told VIN News.

In a news report that appeared Tuesday in The Forward , Ezras Nashim EMT Yocheved Lerner-Miller explained that the women decided that it was preferable to start their own corps instead of continuing their efforts to join Hatzalah.

“Basically, we did the Hatzalah routine and it is going to get us nowhere,” said Mrs. Lerner-Miller. “They are adamant and the goal now is to get going. That is how we are going to do it. We are going to do our own thing.”

Hatzalah CEO David Cohen confirmed to VIN News, that he met with Ezras Nashim, but gave no further details, saying he wished Ezras Nashim well.

“We did our homework and we realized that if we aren’t providing medical transport, we don’t need to be a licensed ambulance corps,” said Mrs. Freier. “Once we discovered that we didn’t have to buy an ambulance but could just contract out with a licensed medical transport provider, it was clear that we could do this on our own and didn’t need to join forces with Hatzalah.”

Members of Ezras Nashim will be trained as both EMTs and doulas or midwives and while the volunteer corps is being founded to aid women in childbirth, their members will be trained to assist in other medical situations as well. The group expects to be classified as a tax exempt 501C3 charitable organization and will be relying on donations from the public. Volunteers with Ezras Nashim will have to spend over a thousand dollars each to cover the cost of training, insurance, a medical kit and a phone.

“Our goal is not to encourage home birth,” explained Mrs. Freier. “We will assess just like Hatzalah assesses and while we will have a full medical board of advisors on staff, as women who have had children, we have an extra sensitivity and awareness of the situation that men could never have. What I find amazing is that Ezras Nashim is uniting women from all walks of life who want to be involved. Women from Manhattan, women from New Square, irreligious women, Chasidic women, so many women who have never had the opportunity to use their medical skills in a volunteer fashion are coming forward and asking ‘How can I help?’”

According to Mrs. Freier Ezras Nashim will be in full operation within the next few months with an emergency Telephone number.

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25 Comments

  • FRIEND FROM FLORIDA

    HI JILL!! LOOKING GOOD AND STILL DOING A VERY GOOD JOB, WE HAVENT SEEN YOU IN LONG WHILE LOT OF LUCK

  • Raskin

    competing? Like shmira and shomrim? Sit back and get the popcorn- fireworks on the way

  • couple questions

    1. they are underestimating their cost. the training in itself is 1000, the mediacl kit/bag is about 300. add insurance lights and sirens gets you close to 2000 per member.
    2. if transport is needed, would you rather be transported by hatzoloh or by some “goy” from the street?

  • il go with

    I see that the best way. Shall a woman want to have the woman group just call. If she wants mens hatzlo u can call. It happened to us that we didn’t expect the labor to speed so fast. Hatzlo came and did an amazing job. Non of us felt un ashamed. They where very professional. And Btw most woman rather use a man Doc.

  • Chaim Yankel

    While CH can and should be proud of the utmost professional Hatzolah members CH boasts; almost all the women behind this endeavor are from Flatbush and BP.

    The reason is simple: BP, Flatbush, and Midwood members (as a unit) are not nearly as professional or polite. There are horror stories a “dime a dozen” from women in BP and Flatbush who have been humiliated and scarred forever by some members’ behavior during labor and delivery emergencies.

    No one is trying to C’V put Hatzola or the great work they do down. The mission of Ezras Nashim is simple: To give a women in labor the choice of calling them or Hatzolah. I believe that in most situations, especially since we are all members of the same community women will opt for a women over man.

    All the bogus lines of women not being strong or competent enough for such a task is utter nonsense. Give the women a choice.

    I think we should all stand up and salute the brave women who are undertaking this herculean task. Well done, and much Hatzlacha!

  • yisroel p.

    why?????how many births a year does hatzolh get called for?100-200-300???doubt it-and for any other medical emergency hatzolo is literaly perfect.why divide our financial support- we can hardly cover hatzoloh needs and the kehillos need money for schools, special needs schools,etc.
    this seems an unnecessay expense and division of efforts and focus.

  • MommyOF10

    I have used Male and Female OBGYN. From my experience Female OBGYN are much nastier and loose control easier than men. I asked my husband for his opinion, he says he would still call Hatzolah even thought his friends are going to show up, because he can’t believe this women will have the experience, (didn’t say training) Hatzolah members have. Even experienced OBGYN freak out if they have to deliver in Hospital hallway!

    Further many medical emergencies can happen during delivery that requires medical experiences in other areas. Did any of you read the story about Home birth advocate that died during home birth due to Cardiac Arrest??

    http://www.dailymail.co.uk/…

    The Torah is ruled by Halocha and NOT by emotions. It is OK to mechalel Shabos for Pikuach Nefesh, it is OK for a Male to deliver a baby for Pikuach Nefesh. What will be the consequences of a 60 seconds delay because of difficulties locating a Female member? Brain damaged baby? Patient Hemorrhaging? Cardiac arrest?

    And this is what people don’t understand, a Hatzolah OB call is NOT a planned home delivery, it is an EMERGENCY birth where every second counts!

  • shtam a shelpepper

    id like to see mrs chanie louie so and so run to her car 3am sheitel gets stuck in door hinge – trips over her shvim kleide and whooopie slips and rips her hose. Back into the house – kids cryin mommy wherecha goin.

    blob blob kindelach i just got a ezras nashim call.
    helpf mir – ezras us mommy!

    22 minutes later mommy gets to the call – way past delivery – in fact we have twins now and they have long been transported to hopsital….by hatzoloh of course.

    BH someone can clean up now – oy a broch!

    And evevryone lived happily ever rafter!

    ok ok thats a little far-fetched , fine take out the torn hose.

  • confusing

    sounds like they can do deliveries but not deliver to a hospital. What if they baby, CV”S, has problems, and needs medical attention?

  • Chan

    You know, one day, when I’m a mother, I want my children to be apalled at the fact that in my own teenage years, men were delivering womens’ babies. Hatzlacha Rabba!

  • Anonymous

    I don’t know if anyone is still reading these comments but it is sad that the women that want to do this are made fun of-“oh,my shaitel is crooked”, “my hose got ripped”, and the post about the kugel recipe is disgusting. There is nothing wrong with having options and those who have a choice will decide for themselves.

  • Zalmen

    If the Halacha is that a male SHOULD assist in emergency situations, who are these women to know better, and be more machmir than what the Torah says. Halacha is Halacha. Halacha is not set by a few board women.

  • Anonymous

    To #22-where in the Torah does it say that a woman cannot assist in emergency situations?

  • Chabad is Not New Age Nonsense

    You know, one day, when I’m a mother, I want my children to be apalled at the fact that in my own teenage years, men were delivering womens’ babies. Hatzlacha Rabba!

    ====

    Take that attitude and go live in Berzerkeley.

  • Hatzalah Moe

    Who is going to carry the patients? Do these ladies just want to do the home deliveries? What is the plan? People do not realize that there is a lot more involved than just delivering the baby.