Hatzolah volunteers are heroes every day, for every call— even when there’s no audience or photographer around”
Naftoli Schischa and Heshy Leifer, both Hatzolah volunteers from Rockland County, were in the air, the former flying from New York to Florida, and the latter from Morocco to New York, when passengers on both flights suddenly felt ill. The two volunteers sprang into action and provided the ill travelers with the emergency medical care they needed.
Meanwhile, down on the ground, a sweet young boy was taking a walk on a lake that turned out not to be as frozen as it had appeared. After taking just a few steps the boy fell into the frigid water, and started treading water frantically in an effort to stay afloat. Another two Hatzolah volunteers — Usher Wieder and Moshe Schuster, as well as Chaveirim volunteer Shloime Spira — jumped in and rescued the boy, bringing him back to safety.
These heroic acts prompted legislator Aron Weider to honor the men in an awards ceremony held at the Rockland County Legislature’s office. At the presentation, he eloquently reminded the audience that “Hatzolah volunteers are heroes every day, for every call — even when there’s no audience or photographer around.”
(Originally featured in Mishpacha, Issue 950)
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