POV

Train rails screech

P.A. system chimes

Baby coos

Indistinct conversations

-Hey. I need you there. The latest I need you --

The latest that you could come would be at 7

45.

Horn honks

The latest that you could come would be at 7

Okay, bye. All right. They have parking! This is Borough Park, and to find parking is nothing short of a miracle. Okay. I grew up in Borough Park. It's a big Hasidic community in New York City. As soon as you walk into the streets of Borough Park, you can smell the challah, you will see men who are dressed in Hasidic tradition, you will see the supermarkets have only kosher food. The newspaper stand filled up with Yiddish newspapers, Hebrew newspapers. We're almost like in a self-contained bubble. Rifke, how are you? -Well, tomorrow's the party. I'm gonna send you an e-mail, but tomorrow is the party. -What time? -It should be on the e-mail. -Okay, thanks now. Bye. Religious women are the busiest creatures. The average woman is walking in the street with at least four or five little kids that are around her, and that's not even her whole entire family. The focus of a woman is being a mother. Any profession or extra schooling is discouraged. It's Ruchie. -Okay. Come in.

Lock disengages

The latest that you could come would be at 7

-Okay.

Door buzzes

The latest that you could come would be at 7

But the worst thing to tell me is that I cannot do something because I'm a woman and because I'm a religious woman. That's the worst thing to tell me. Fasten your seatbelts. Now let's move. Okay. -

Praying in native language

Praying continues

Flame sizzles

The latest that you could come would be at 7

-

Speaks indistinctly

The latest that you could come would be at 7

-Okay. Bye, everybody. Leah, Faigy, bye. -Bye-bye! -Bye. -Bye. Bye. Okay, bye, sweetheart. -Bye. -Bye.

Turn signal clicking

The latest that you could come would be at 7

Woman sings in native language

Indistinct conversations

The latest that you could come would be at 7

-With Hasidism, there's a huge divide between the genders. A man can't even shake my hand.

Siren wails

The latest that you could come would be at 7

There is an exception to the rule when there's a life-threatening emergency. Then it's okay for someone who's not your husband to touch you, but most Hasidic women want a woman to help them. The problem is that the existing emergency volunteer corps, Hatzolah, used by everybody, is comprised only of men. And I think that we need to have another option. Okay. Hello. More and more stories are happening -- women are having babies at home, and the EMTs are all men. So let's create the choice and form a separate all-women's ambulance corps. Right? So, I want you just to hear the story of how I got involved. I get a phone call, we're a group of women, we really wanted to join Hatzolah for many years, and -- we were also doulas, most of us, and Hatzolah doesn't want to take us in, and we were told that we should really -- you know, in order to really get our organization going, we should really get a woman lawyer who's going to help us. -You're a lawyer? -Yeah, I'm a lawyer. -I am! -You can't be both. -Why not? So, when I first went to Hatzolah and I said to them, "Please take women in." "Oh no," they told me. -Hatzolah... -No, because they think that women aren't fast enough, strong enough, or smart enough. -And they think they're not? -And I think we are. By the way, the classic thing is, Ruchie, do you think you'll be able to handle a woman

who goes into labor at 3

00 in the morning on the third floor with no elevator who weighs 300 pounds? Now, I want -- I'll tell you one thing. I will do same thing that a Hatzolah member will do -- I will call for backup.

Indistinct conversations

who goes into labor at 3

Just us religious women can't do this? We can have babies every year, but just being an EMT is something we can't do? Of course we can do it.

Siren wails

who goes into labor at 3

Radio chatter

Siren wails

Dramatic music plays

who goes into labor at 3

-Always on call, arriving in record time, Hatzolah of Borough Park provides an exceptional sense of comfort and calmness within the community.

Radio chatter

who goes into labor at 3

With over 50 calls a day, Borough Park Hatzolah volunteers still respond in a moment's notice.

Siren wails

who goes into labor at 3

-People think "emergency," and they think "Hatzolah." Hatzolah has anywhere from a one- to three-minute response time for most calls, and no other ambulance system can match that.

Siren wails

who goes into labor at 3

Minute for minute for response time, there's no way the women can match men. In Judaism, a woman's place is the home, and I say that with respect. It is their duty to stay home and raise the children.

Heels clacking

Door closes

who goes into labor at 3

-I usually prepare supper before I leave the house in the morning because I have to know when I come home that dinner is done.

Keypad beeps

My oven usually is set to go on at 3

00. That's how I do it.

Keys clack

Door creaks

My oven usually is set to go on at 3

It's me.

Paper thuds

My oven usually is set to go on at 3

-Rachel Freier. This is for Rachel, Rachel -- a lot of stuff for Rachel. -A lot of stuff? -Yeah. Rachel, you're getting a lot of stuff. I don't know, it looks like they like you. You would think you were the President of the United States, how much mail is coming here. -Going to law school was something that happened really slowly over time. I became a legal secretary first. I turned 30, and then suddenly it hit me that I cannot be happy my whole life being a secretary. I-I need more. I decided to go to law school, and it was a very big struggle for me because I have six kids and I grew up hearing the message that you weren't going to be able to raise a family and be the mother, a true mother, if you were going to have a career. College took me six years. So by the time I got my law degree, I was already 40. My kids were coming to school, and the girls were talking about Mommy becoming a lawyer, so I guess the school got concerned, and they called me down. The first question to me was, "Maybe you want to take your children out of the school because it's not really what we encourage our girls to do." It wasn't something that people were ready to accept. And I really want in the future to be a judge. -A lot -- A lot of work here, so that's why I'm still sitting here today not retired. This ladies' ambulance thing, it makes me nervous, especially when I hear how the men are really banging down about it, and then, like, saying it's, like, not gonna work. And the truth is it's really a new thing. It's risky. I told my wife -- I want it to work, I want success with it. But the problem is she doesn't know where to stop, know what yes, what not, you know, each project. So it's -- it's not easy. A lot of men told me they would not be able to -- to -- be able to survive. -

Chuckles

Indistinct conversations

My oven usually is set to go on at 3

-So this is my very messy, busy laundry room with my extra freezer. And here is what makes me happy -- when it's all filled up with homemade challah. Packed, packed -- I have no ideas how many challahs I have. This is the second time that I've refilled my freezer.

Indistinct conversations

My oven usually is set to go on at 3

Headset beeps

My oven usually is set to go on at 3

Hi. How are you? We actually put an ad now in the Torah Times. Yeah. I just put down Emergency Medical Training, Advanced First Aid, By Women for Women. I want to get it started already. I want to get it off the ground. -This is my nicer one for holidays and Shabbas and stuff. And then these are the random heads. I find these terrifying, and that's why they're not in my line of sight so that I don't see them in the middle of the night because if you wake up and that's the first thing you see, it will cause nightmares. I started covering my hair when I got married, and, unfortunately, it didn't work out, and I was divorced. I got divorced this year. By Hasidic standards, to be unmarried and 29 and not have kids, that's like I'm practically in my grave.

Chuckles

My oven usually is set to go on at 3

I'm old. I decided to sign up for EMT training because no woman should ever be too embarrassed to call for help. We're talking about women who -- no one's ever seen their naked legs except for their husband. They've never been with a m-- I mean, for someone who's not from a religious background to conceive of the idea that a woman has never been with anybody but her husband, she's not -- Not only has she never had sex with anybody but her husband, she's never so much as held hands with anybody but her husband. She's never so much as kissed anyone but her husband, and then suddenly, there's 10 men in her room while she's exposed from the waist down. So at the end of the day, we just don't want women to have to go through that. -Okay. Look at the comments.

Sighs

My oven usually is set to go on at 3

We've been always told that this is a job that's for the men. The community trusts Hatzolah, so to come and to say that now we want to do something different, it makes people sit and wonder and think, "Well is it going to work, and how is it going to work?" So that's the million-dollar question. -The community itself will rebel against any organization trying to do things against Hatzolah.

Siren wails

My oven usually is set to go on at 3

In reality, there are gender-specific roles. We've never had a woman president. Most CEOs are still men. Sometimes it's just the way it is, whether you like it or not. -Hi, Lee. I'm Rachel Freier. -Welcome to Buffalo. -Thank you so much. -Thank you for coming. -This is my mother, Sarah Gluck. -Hello. -We both took the EMT course together. -It's amazing. We used you as the example of out-of-the-box thinking. "You got a problem, well, Rachel will figure it out." -

Chuckles

Indistinct conversations

My oven usually is set to go on at 3

-Oh, wow. Take a look at this. Whoa. Is that a defibrillators? -It's one of the premier ALS defibrillators. It'll do everything. -Yeah, but -- -Where are you from? -Brooklyn. -Brooklyn? -I'm the Director of this new organization. -Thank you. -That's my contact information. -Nice to meet you, Rachel. -Likewise. You won't be offended if I won't shake your hand. -No, not at all. -Are you familiar with the ultra-Orthodox Hasidic community? -Agreed. -That's where I come from. -Take a look at this. -Thank you. -The existing corps did not want to take women? -Right. -Really? -So you know what? We decided if you -- If can't join them, beat 'em.

Horn honks

Horns honking

My oven usually is set to go on at 3

-That's wonderful. -Yes, we need something for the ladies, too. The men have everything -- something for the ladies.

Horn honks

Indistinct conversations

My oven usually is set to go on at 3

-Say "Ezras Nashim."

Camera shutter clicks

My oven usually is set to go on at 3

-EMT! -

Laughs

My oven usually is set to go on at 3

-EMT works. That works. -Right. Okay. -So, let me tell you -- let me show you who are the founders of Ezras Nashim. Yocheved Lerner. She was actually -- She rode ambulances. -Hi. -Nice to meet you. -Like, over 1,000 calls? -Over 1,000 calls over 14 years. This is my 24th year as an EMT. -She just moved to Brooklyn. When did you move to Brooklyn? -Five years. -Five years ago. -She says, "What do you mean" -- She recently became religious, well, she says, "Hey, wait a minute. Women aren't in Hatzolah? That doesn't make sense." And then I met her, and she tells me, "We got to make it happen." -Yeah. -The past 30 years. -Could you not get on the table? This is my friend. I'm friends with the animals. I like them.

Laughs

My oven usually is set to go on at 3

His name is JJ, the famous rabbi, Rabbi JJ. Now, we did name it after him, but we meant no disrespect. Nobody knows that until now. We came here to Brooklyn. We didn't have much. We came here because I needed to be here. My daughter needed a religious environment that I could not provide, having had no religious education whatsoever. For nearly a year, we lived in a studio which was a nightmare, she and I. Subsequently, I did get married. So, when we got the one-bedroom it was, like, totally exciting. And what we did was we cordoned off a little section. This is her little section of the universe. It's not much, but she's happy with it. I always had an extremely pervasive interest in religion from the earliest I can remember. I used to actually like it when we would go away and we'd stay in a motel and there'd be a Bible in the drawer. My grandmother used to say, "You're Jewish, that's enough." It wasn't quite enough, but at least it was a start. -

Praying in native language

My oven usually is set to go on at 3

-Oh my gosh. Amazing. I really wanted to have the women really get the experience of what it feels like to deliver a baby, and this is the way to do it.

Indistinct conversations

Woman moaning, crying on video

My oven usually is set to go on at 3

-Okay. Women have been having babies since Eve, you know, and we're here, you know, practicing for that one moment when something doesn't go right and how to respond to it, how to become a better responder.

Indistinct conversations

My oven usually is set to go on at 3

So, let's say -- She should be at the head of the baby, but -- You should all be kind of like positioned at the table. Yeah. -It's not very -- -Where do you want him to sit? -Oh, you know what? -What? We're good. -Let's go with the end over here, because it's -- -No, I like him better like this. -We'd like to stay comfortable. -But aren't you supposed to be with the head? -It doesn't make a difference -- -I am at the head. -So grab, up. -It's chin up. You got to get the chin up, and then -- You were just going like this. That wasn't the right thing. You must be at the head. -Ruchie, you can't always be at the head. There's going to be a situation where there is no head -- a baby's on the floor. This is emergency! -How long you guys known each other? -A short while. -A short while? -Um, I -- -You guys argue like you've known each other for many years.

Laughter

My oven usually is set to go on at 3

-That's what Ezras Nashim did to us! -One, two, three. -Okay. -Good chest rise. -Yeah. -Good. We're good.

Lock disengages

My oven usually is set to go on at 3

-Come, Dovy. Come on. Oopsy! Come.

Speaking Yiddish

My oven usually is set to go on at 3

Come. Yighty tiny baby. This isn't a tiny baby. There are definitely some people that are stuck on the idea that women belong at home, or they're weak, they can't handle it -- leave 'em at home with the children and let 'em bake some cakes, you know? Hi, this is Yitty Mandel. I'm calling about the EMT classes. One of the ladies in your group wants to change the class from Wednesday to Thursday. Is that okay with you? I have no problem saying that women can do anything. There is nothing a man can do than a woman can't do better. I originally wanted to be a doctor, but it was never the right time to do it. I was 20 right before I got married.

Chuckles

My oven usually is set to go on at 3

We're a small family right now. Four children -- three boys, one girl. And I have a wedding tonight. Getting my wig done, so let's go.

Spray can hisses

My oven usually is set to go on at 3

What's doing? This is me here? A married woman covers her hair, and for me, the nicest way to cover it is with a wig that looks really pretty and like hair. Some of my hair is turning white. Did I tell you, Sarah, I have some white hair? It's pathetic. Okay, so most of the people that come here shave their hair? -Yeah. Pretty much, I would say 98%. -Why do we shave our hair? -Somehow, there was s-- What is hair called? Hair from a woman has a name. -It's like -- It's like -- -It's considered a body part that should be covered, right? Isn't that -- Is that the reason why? Look at us, such uneducated women. We don't even know why we cut it. We're such idiots. We just cut it 'cause they tell us to cut it.

Laughs

My oven usually is set to go on at 3

-That's even better. That means we're just -- -By the way -- Yeah, look, look how good we are. We just do it because we were told. We don't even question it. We just do it. It's true.

Telephone rings

My oven usually is set to go on at 3

-CC it to Ira... -Okay. -...and also then scan it to Cohen.

Music plays on cellphone

My oven usually is set to go on at 3

Oh, gosh. Look at this. Look at this. I mean this is like -- It's -- It's -- It's sad. That's what my opponents have been doing. What do you have to make fun of us for? It has to be Hatzolah. You didn't want to take us in, I didn't fight you. Don't take me in. Fine. I don't even know if they know what they want anymore. They just wanted me to go away. -This is what people are passing around, like this is the radios we'll be using. They're making fun of girly stuff. Like, they don't really get how the system is working. -The surgical tape is 69 cents, the trauma shears 99 cents. What do you have so far? -$170. -The OB kit is $5. Can you go home, Yitty, while we do this... -Yes. I'll give you an exact list. -...and we'll go through everything again? -Do you need this? -I just have one question. What if Hatzolah starts to exert pressure when they hear that we're getting our supplies from your company? I'll be honest with you, we -- we are -- we have collaborated with North Shore University for our medical training. And we had a very big problem because somebody had gone into the CEO who was a Hatzolah member who said that if you're going to train these women, we will not transport to your hospital. It's becoming a volatile situation. -We don't have time to, you know, play around now. Now this is real. You know that you'll be able to take the pressure. -Yeah, it's... You know what? -All right.

Car door closes

My oven usually is set to go on at 3

-I got a phone call last week from somebody. He said, "People in Hatzolah convinced more and more rabbis that, you know, lives would be at risk. Women aren't capable or strong enough or fast enough or smart enough. Tell people not to join, tell people not to call," painting the picture to the Hasidic community that we are defying the rabbis. So whenever you do anything new in the religious community, they're suspect. Like, "what is this for, what is it about?" So people rely on the rabbis, let the rabbis vet it out. -We need......publicly and take a stand and say, "I will support this organization." But it's hard. And nobody wants to be the one to raise a red flag and step out against them.

Siren wails

My oven usually is set to go on at 3

-What happened? -So, I went to the CEO -- the CEO. Yes. This was the official meeting that was done to discuss this. He had us all sign a paper that we agree not to tape this meeting, and then he sat and he yelled and he insulted us. And I said to him, "You know something, I get more respect in court than I get here." It was an attempt to -- to intimidate me, to quiet me, to nip it in the bud, to let me know that I am going against Da'as Torah, and......and see what they're gonna think, I think Yocheved was hyperventilating. She was hyperventilating. Mrs. Spitzer looked like she was -- like she needed Hatzolah.

Laughter

My oven usually is set to go on at 3

She looked like she was going to faint. -Ruchie, Ruchie, Ruchie. -Yeah? Yeah? -We're doing a wonderful thing, and they're doing a wonderful -- We're not knocking the men. -And if somebody wants them, the option is still there.

Overlapping shouting

My oven usually is set to go on at 3

-We get there, and Hatzolah gets there -- -But, Rifke -- tell you something else -- I was "warned." I was warned. I was warned. -It's like -- It's like a mafia. Excuse me. Yeah. -Or else. -Or else. -I'll find out.

Horn honks

Indistinct conversations

My oven usually is set to go on at 3

-Oh, we don't have the same seats. -Okay, now, how do we get up here? You know? We have to lift our skirts and not be seen. -Around? -Around, yeah. -Let's go.

Indistinct conversations

My oven usually is set to go on at 3

Conversations continue

My oven usually is set to go on at 3

-Estimated time,

10

30. Is she there already?

Turn signal clicking

10

-So, the turn -- 280. What's 280? What's 80 West? -That's 80 West. -I have convinced a Torah authority, a rabbi, to publicly announce his support for Ezras Nashim. He's a well-respected Torah scholar, the perfect person to say, "Yes, I support Ezras Nashim," 'cause if he does it, others will follow. -She says there's a men's side. -Men's side -- Men's side of the street. -Of the street? -Yes. -We're on the wrong side of the street. -So, where should we go? -I don't know, but I guess we'd better run away. -We have to wear a tichel. -What? -We have to wear a tichel on top. -I had to do my sheitel for this. Now you're supposed to wear a tichel. -When in Rome. -But nobody told me that we were going to Rome.

Indistinct conversations

10

-Yes. Okay, where's Ruchie? -We're waiting on -- for our turn to go in. Okay, everybody, let's go in. -Shh! -Shh! -Go, go, go, go. -Oh.

Indistinct conversations

10

-

Coughs

10

-Wait, wait.

Indistinct conversations

10

-All these obstacles. -Okay, so...

Indistinct conversations

10

-I want to tell you something, all of you. There is absolutely no reason for anybody to be disheartened, nothing. Do you understand? The only thing -- the only thing you need to dovin for is more emunah. That's it -- emunah. That's it. You have faith that Hashem came this far with us. He's with us. We're going ahead. The end. -Just -- Everything is, like, crashing down. Something is burning! Oh, man.

Steam hisses

10

Oh, gosh. So, that's life. Sometimes I wonder, why did God create me a woman? If he would have made me a man, it would have been so much easier. So much of the things that I want to do is that much harder because I'm a woman. If I had been a Hasidic man, I don't think I would have half the problems that I have.

Water running

10

I just got an e-mail. It says, "My wife just showed me your ad in the Torah Times with a big smile. Hope you are very successful and make lots of money. You rock." No idea who sent this to me. Ah. It's cute. Okay, let's get finished with the invitations. They thought that if our rabbinical support would not be announced publicly, we wouldn't go forward. But you know what? I'm not afraid. And it's God's endorsement that's most important, and I believe we have God's endorsement. So we move on.

Birds chirping

10

-I'm starting a new class this Sunday. How many students do you have? -I would say we'd have about 20. -Look. This is, you know... I'll never forget -- Let me get out of here. I'll see you guys. -Yes. Thank you. I'll be in touch with you about this. Thank you. -We're trying to save a life, and that's the emergency we're here right now, so we need to get focused. -One, two, three. One, two, and three. -Okay, good. Hold up. All right, if you dance, you're gonna switch from the waltz to the cha-cha-cha.

Laughter

10

Breathe and two and three, breathe and two and three, breathe and two and three. One and two and three and breathe, one and two and three and breathe. It's the difference. -That's it. -That's what it is, the waltz to the cha-cha-cha! -One and two and three. -And breathe. -One and two and three. -And breathe. -One and two and three and breathe. -

Sighs, laughs

10

-We're gonna go get a jump bag. We're gonna get our first one. And once we get our first jump bag, then hopefully we'll get a bunch more. This way? Wow. This is really good. Wow. Take a look -- handheld portable suction. Aneroid sphygmomanometer. Brand-new, shiny oxygen tank. Pink. Was this chosen for us? No, we want something tougher-looking than that, you know? Pink EMT shears. No, we want purple.

Laughter

10

Having too much fun. Okay.

Chuckles

10

It's been real. -Let's see what we've got here. -The toys are here. -Oh, my God. -It's so cool. -It's really happening. -It's really happening. -All right. -It's more than so cool. It's amazing. It's, like, you know, so totally amazing. -Oh, my gosh! -Okay. So, this is the pediatric. -Peds, okay. -Yeah. Blood-pressure cuffs, made three sizes, I got it... -Okay. -...because I know maybe you didn't understand, but there are large people in the world. -This is a regulator. -Isn't that great? -All right. -Everything is -- it's -- You'll see. -All right.

Brakes screech

10

-You were here last week? No. You were here last week, you were here last week. So last week, we spent time understanding what the dispatching is all about. -So, one second. If you weren't here last week, then let me just introduce. Rochel was, I mean, like, the premier dispatcher for Hatzolah for many, many, many years. -Oh, wow. -Once they -- Once they instituted a policy of no women, even as dispatchers, Rochel, you know, she agreed to be our dispatch trainer, so we're very, very lucky that Rochel's here. -From here onward. All right? Okay. Ding-a-ling-a-ling- a-ling-a-ling. "Ezras Nashim. Do you have an emergency?" And then what is the most important piece of information you're going to get once you know there's an emergency? Do you recall, those of you who were here last week? -The telephone number. -The telephone number of...? -The person calling. -The caller. Yes? -I'm only competent in English and not in any other language. What about the Yiddish- or Hebrew-speaking patient who -- -Okay, right now we are not specifying that anybody needs more than English. We are in America. -Yeah, but you wouldn't know it. -Yeah.

Clippers buzzing

10

-

Speaking Yiddish

Speaking Yiddish

10

Ambulance? -

Speaking Yiddish

10

Ambulance. -No? He says nobody knows about the women's ambulance. He said he didn't tell his friends.

Speaking Yiddish

10

Friends? -

Speaking Yiddish

10

-They wouldn't believe him. They wouldn't believe him that there's a women's Hatzolah. -

Speaking Yiddish

10

-'Cause they never yet saw a women's Hatzolah, so they wouldn't believe it. You believe it? -Yeah.

Laughs

10

-Aww.

Buzzing continues

Paper rustles

10

-Hey, where is it? -So, you're going to stuff the envelopes. It's returnable to me. -Yeah. -So now we're going to do two boxes that are going to go to Suri Katz.

Indistinct conversations

10

-She's nuts! She almost

Speaks indistinctly

10

Nuts! -Psychology. -Not, like, to be a pediatrician. -Psychology. -No, not psychology. -Yeah. -And you're supposed to like it.

Camera shutter beeps

10

Keys clacking

10

-

Sighs

10

-This is all over the social media. "Rachel Freier's radical feminist agenda." I have to respond. And that's it. -You are listening to the "Weekly Forum with Bracha Meltzer" on Chazaq Radio. My guests today are Ruchie Freier and Yitty Mandel, the force and pioneers behind the creation of Ezras Nashim, the Orthodox women's EMT corps. One of the things that I want to dispel -- people shouldn't think that Yitty and Ruchie are feminists. They are very, very, very far from that, and that was one of the reasons why I was very excited about interviewing them, knowing that these are frum women who are living frum lives who are educating their children to live a Torah life. -And feminism is a secular concept. If you have a life that's filled with Torah values, you don't need feminism. From my perspective, feminism is the movement when a woman wants to be equal to a man or she wants a man's job. I'm very happy with my role as a woman. And I also think it's important that your listeners know that we have nothing against women who go to men doctors. We're here that if a woman prefers a woman, she should have that option. -Exactly. -And I just think that assisting a woman in childbirth really is our role. -That always belonged to the women. -Right. -It was taken away over the years. We're just reclaiming what is ours.

Vehicle passes

10

-Let's go! Talk to your patient. -Okay. -Push! Give me a good, good push. Mom, you're doing great. You're doing great. -Okay, three things that will tell you that this baby is ready to go on to their mother. -If the respiration is good, the color is good, and the -- the -- -The answer I'm looking for is term, vigorous, and crying. -What we've decided -- we needed to make some criteria to join Ezras Nashim. So, to be an EMT going on calls, you have to be married. There's a whole host of issues that come up in a marriage that will give you that level of maturity. -We try a posterior? -Oh, that's a good one. -Let's try a regular posterior. -That's a good idea. -Okay. -Having single women is controversial. Many of the people in the community feel it's not proper. They said to Ruchie, "Maybe I should rather call Hatzolah and leave things the way they are. Maybe we don't need this organization."

Exhales deeply

10

They're not taking any people who are single, and I think that's a big mistake. So if a person has never been in labor and never delivered a baby, that doesn't mean that she can't be a good EMT. -'Cause I've never been in labor, and I've never delivered a baby. -But that's the point that they were making, that, like -- -No, no, it wasn't about -- -They were. -I think it has more to do with we don't need to give people ammunition to say, "Oh, you have these single girls who should be innocent, and they're being exposed to these situations." That's coming not even necessarily from the ladies. That's coming straight -- That was... So... -Times have changed. You know, I was 22 when I had my third child. Does that make me better equipped? No, I was an idiot.

Laughs

10

-How old were you when you had your first? -Almost 19. -Wow. Just -- wow. Fast. -So, I was still an idiot. -Well, yeah.

Indistinct conversations

10

-Would you like to dispatch? So, that would be a great way for you to start to get involved. So right now for dispatching we could use you and for driving the car. -Okay. -Okay?

Indistinct conversations

10

-You're single, you're out of here. They're saying it's community standards. That doesn't make sense. I've been married now 2 1/2 years. I ran all those years in ambulance without having been married. I don't think it changed me for the worse.

Brakes screech

Air brake hisses

10

-This no-singles issue hit a sore spot with a lot of people. But Ruchie doesn't want to mess with anybody, she still wants to be in good standing with the rabbis and her kids' schools, her shul affiliation, whatever it is that she has, right? She doesn't want to mess it. She'd be shunned from the community, so she has to do it like this. She's, you know, balancing a very...

Sighs

10

It's -- It's hard. -Now, what I was thinking -- We have 40 or 50 EMTs, but not everybody can serve right now. I have to get the final number, but -- -Now this -- this agency has to get up and running, it has to get on its feet before it -- -We have to push members to go for their rotations. -The thing about the rotations is I don't know how you're going to actually make people do this. -I learn so much on these rotations. -Not everybody does, though. I mean, when I first did my EMS rotation, nothing happened for 12 hours in a big hospital. -Yeah, but, you see, not everybody would say the same thing -- -Well, no one else will -- no one else will. No one else comes into this organization if they don't follow my rules. All right? No one gets away with it.

Light switch clicks

10

-Thank you, I guess. -

Laughs

10

-Phew.

Intercom buzzes

10

Who's there? Coming.

Sighs

10

-So first thing that I want to say is as much as you see things, Ruchie, and you're -- I know you think things through clearly, and I'm sure you bounce things off other people. You don't always necessarily see things from the other side. I know you're telling me there are a lot of happy members, Ruchie, and there probably are, but there are enough members who are not so happy, and then we have people dropping out like flies. -So, I agree with you, and I'd love to make everybody happy. But I have to put together a strong organization. Does it mean that I want to be a dictator? No. No. -Hey, Ruchie can stay Ruchie, and she'd better stay Ruchie or we're not going to have an organization. But now we have to start walking that fine line of making people feel good about themselves. What's the buy-in of a typical Ezras Nashim member? Salary, there isn't, even a status within the community? In the beginning, for sure, there's not going to be that. What is it? It's doing the right thing in this time. You know, I feel good being part of this organization. That's why I want to be part of it. So how are we going to work with these people to make sure that people feel very connected to you as a leader? -Okay. This is not running a pre-school. This is not running a school. This is not. It's not. It really, really isn't. You know why? I risk my profession. My license to practice law now is tied in with this organization. And it was my name that was being lambasted because nobody else wanted to have their name publicized for very good reasons. You know what? I have -- I have a dream to really be a judge. That's what I'm working for. I put everything on hold for this organization. It's just everybody knows that Ezras Nashim is now resting on Ruchie Freier's shoulders. It'll be the biggest failure of my life if we don't get off the ground.

Water running

10

-

Sighs

10

It's about as bad as I could have imagined things to get as far as Ezras Nashim is concerned. The worst part is the lack of unity. Ezras Nashim was my heart and soul. It was good and pure in its intention. But there was an awful lot of nastiness at the last meeting. The issue was brought up again about the single people, so I spoke as well as I could. I just believe that this was not the right thing to do. You know, I don't know what would have happened if I didn't get married. It scares me. Again, I'll reiterate -- this was my idea that I could not bring to fruition on my own. It took a dynamo like Ruchie to bring it to fruition, but now that she's brought it to fruition, she says it's hers. Where's the room for me? In tears, I left the meeting. I thought about it for a while, and then I texted in that I'm no longer a member. I'm resigning. That's how it went. That's how it ended.

Woman singing in native language

10

Lighter clicks

10

-Did I get hurt? Yes. That's the answer. Yes, I got hurt. Will I get over it? Sure. Have I been hurt before? Sure. Will I get hurt again? Absolutely. That's part of life. That's part of life.

Singing continues

10

Ambulance beeping

Telephone rings

10

-Midwood Ambulance. How can I help you? -I have been setting up the dispatch system... -Mm-hmm. -...and I want to show you how the system works and how it's gonna be connected to your dispatchers. -Okay.

Cellphone rings

10

"Subject

call 2

40.

Message call 2

40. Test Midwood." Is that what you wrote? -Yes. "Test Midwood," right? "Message

call 2

40," yes. -You heard how fast that came through? -Yes, and how loud it came through. -The whole system -- everything is working. -We're live. -It's really happening. -We have stress balls. Are you stressed?

Chair scrapes

call 2

If you're stressed, just grab one, and just squeeze it. Look at that. See? You feel stress going away already, right? -Yeah.

Group praying in Hebrew

call 2

Now I wanted to say one thing -- I know a lot of you had certain questions. Nobody -- Nobody was told to go. Whoever isn't here, it was their own decision, and you should know that there was a lot of pain on my part. So... And we should all understand that we're here for each other. Deep down......they know we're doing what they should have done. We open next week Sunday at the Health Fair. We are giving out our number, and we're giving out our flyers. That means by next week, Sunday, we're up.

Applause

call 2

-Everyone gets a package like this. -Number one. This is number two. -Oh. -Everyone's packing up their own trauma bag. -It's a baby! -It's a baby! -I'm trying to imagine Ruchie carrying all of this stuff. -Now it's on. Now it's off? Now it's --

Horn blares

call 2

Yitty? -It looks good.

Indistinct conversations

call 2

Hi, girls. Take one magnet. Take a magnet. Remember our number. -No? -Here's what you do.

Cellphone chirps

call 2

37B to base? -So I have to say that? -No. So, that's what dispatcher's gonna say. -Okay. -Okay, 10B responding. Okay, 10B responding. -Get the information out within those 45 seconds and press that "send text" button. -Ding-a-ling-a-ling. -Ezras Nashim. Where is the emergency? -I'm having a baby. -Okay, is this your first baby? -No, it's my fifth. -Gosh, how many things does this kid have to wear?

Cellphone chirps

call 2

-Okay. -We are doing this. If my kids don't get to eat or we don't have clean clothes, I don't care. We are doing this. -So, we're the EMTs. -The Fire Department of the City of New York recognized Ezras Nashim as a valid member of EMS.

Applause

call 2

We're going to get an official FDNY radio, and our code is going to be what the chief made up -- 93Q, 93Queen. We're going to be 93QUEEN.

Applause

call 2

-In Brooklyn, an all-female crew of Orthodox EMTs will hit the streets tomorrow, providing a much-needed service in the community.

Horn honks

Indistinct conversations

Cellphone chirps

call 2

-D23, this is 22W. Ruchie. Come in, Ruchie. -This is 21B on call. -Day number one. This is the first day of the rest of our life.

Clicks tongue

call 2

Right? I've been walking around with a knot in my stomach all day, just, like, how's the first day going to do? I got up this morning, and I stood by the phone

at 7

00, looking at it like it's going to explode. I was just, like, waiting to see what's going to go on.

Cellphone chirps

Button clicks

Cellphone rings

at 7

Sylvia. Yes, dear. -Yitty, I'm sorry to bother you. -It's fine. -I picked it up, I said, "Ezras Nashim," and I just -- -I didn't see the phone. What happened? -Nothing. And then I hear a click. They hung up. But he unblocked his number, and I happen to know who he is. -Mm-hmm. -I don't know him personally, but I know there's a guy by the name of Eli... in Hatzolah. -Okay, so there you go. Expect to get several more of these, but, Sylvia, don't get -- don't get riled up. This is crazy. The prank calls are coming in mostly from men. We can have the best system and the best training, but if we're not getting calls, it's not gonna work.

Cellphone chirps

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-Attention all units and dispatchers. Be advised there is a formal training going on now. All units, if a call comes in, be advised it is only a training session. -If the world would have been perfect, we could have had, like, all this practice drills bef--

Radio chatter

at 7

This must be a practice. -29B. 10-4. -I think our women are so good. I really think they are. This is incred-- -Proceed.

Cellphone chirps

at 7

-This is not a test. This is not a test. Responding units, this is dispatch. The caller, I was not able to get through.

Horn honking

at 7

Oh, that was 57th Street. Shucks.

Turn signal clicking

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Seat belt disengages

at 7

21B, I'm at the scene. There seems to be another car here.

Siren wails

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Cheers and applause

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-

Laughs

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-She's a smart woman! -All right.

Laughs

at 7

Whoever says there's no need for us has no idea what it's like when we actually help somebody. -Until they get the first call. -Until you get that first call, and you help the -- the woman herself, the husband. It is just an incredible, incredible experience, and Baruch Hashem, you all will get that feeling. -Yes.

Laughter

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Horn honks

Horn honks

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-Okay. Crisis averted. -Ezras Nashim. Do you have an emergency? Hello? -15 58th Street. -Got it. I got it. Yes!

Cellphone chirps

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-

Gasps

at 7

-EMT 21B on standby. -Did you see just what happened? -No. -This guy saved his baby's life. The stroller started flying -- -We almost had a call. -Yeah. -Ambulance. How can I help you? -This is 45B, Yitty.

Horn honks

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Horn honks

Indistinct conversations

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-And pull down. Ruchie. -What? -Come here. I want your opinion on this. Should we put all now on there or just one side? -It's not too big?

Speaks indistinctly

at 7

-Okay, now let's put on the dress. -I was very nervous that I wasn't going to find someone so quickly, but I'm very lucky I found someone. We're very compatible, we're very on the same page. He's really a good person. He's from a very similar background to me. We're both ridiculously nerdy and liked all the same goofy books and movies growing up, and so we get each other's pop-culture references, and it's fabulous to have someone who gets my "Star Wars" and -- and "Lord of the Rings" references. I'm like, "Yes!"

Chuckles

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Glass breaks

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-Mazel tov!

Rhythmic clapping

Indistinct conversations

Air pops

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-Ooh, I got -- I want this! -

Laughs

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-Come on! Let's go!

Indistinct conversations

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Keypad beeps

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-Yeah. -Yeah. Hello? I just -- -Hi, everybody. How are you? I think we're having roll call now. -Yeah, I'm here. -Okay. So, the first and most exciting thing that I wanted to talk about was my announcement yesterday to -- to run for civil court judge. I don't know how many of you knew that this was really my plan for the past 10 years.

Chuckles

at 7

I want -- Thank you.

Radio chatter

at 7

And I wanted you to hear it from me. You see, the higher the position I'm able to achieve, the more credibility we get to our organization. And we still are fighting for our survival, but we're firm and we're strong and we don't back down. -Baruch Hashem. -Very good. Take care, everybody. Have a good night. -Thank you. -Bye-bye.

Keypad beeps

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-So, there's a lot of men that are religious on the bench already. We don't have a woman. 'Cause that, we don't really have yet.

Indistinct conversations

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We're the women's EMT group. -Hi. -We respond to all emergency calls. -Yeah. Thank you so much. -I happen to be a lawyer, and now I'm running for civil court judge. -Civil court? -Right. All the information is there, when Election Day is....you should never need it, but it's always good to have somebody... -

Laughs

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-Thank you. -Ruchie Freier for civil court judge! Ruchie Freier for civil court judge! -Hello. I'm Ruchie Freier. -Ruchie Freier for civil court judge!

Air hisses

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-Here's my flier. It's for ladies only, 'cause it has my picture on it. This -- This is for boys or men. This is for you. -Can you help me? I'm Ruchie Freier. Why not? Okay. It's just -- -Hatzolah has made my campaign a much, much harder campaign. They will try to do whatever they can to get me to back off from running. They found a candidate to run against me to make sure that I wasn't going to win. They're gonna make sure they're gonna stop me to the best of their ability.

Beep

at 7

-Hello, and thank you for calling Ezras Nashim. Our primary response vehicle has been booted. Please hang up and dial 718... -This message went around to the whole world on every WhatsApp group -- "You have reached Ezras Nashim. Our vehicle is locked. Please call Hatzolah. Of course, we had a major operational fiasco. They put a boot on the car. Don't ask me how it happened. I do not know of any unpaid ticket, but it went all over. It went viral.

Indistinct conversations

at 7

I have no idea. -Where was it booted? -It was parked on my block. All right, so now everybody -- everybody. EMTs. EMT-- Hey. -Shh! -So, I wanted to say that over the past couple of months since our last meeting, we had calls that have run the gamut, everything from domestic violence to motor vehicle accidents. We did deliver a baby already. We even had -- We even had a miscarriage. We had cardiac calls, we had pediatrics, we had geriatrics, we had OB-GYN. We even h-- We had a dental call. A woman who was pregnant had a dental emergency. So we've really had everything. And we had two male callers. So we -- we have to be prepared for anything and everything.

Indistinct conversations

at 7

All my friends are here. Sarah Huznee, one of our EMTs, this is Marcy. -Hi. Nice to meet you.

Conversations continue

at 7

-Hi, how are you? I'm the candidate -- one of the candidates. -And this is your signature. Am I correct? -On pins and needles! My ballot was counted. -We were asked to vote for Avigdor. This is what we were asked for, and this is what we do. -Hello, I'm Ruchie Freier. Are you going to vote? -Yeah, that's what we're coming to do right now. -Excellent! -Freier for civil court judge!

Indistinct conversations

at 7

-41-35. 41-35.

Indistinct conversations

at 7

-Shh, shh! -No.

Conversations continue

at 7

-See? Counting the votes.

Speaking Yiddish

Conversations continue

at 7

-Hold on a second. Now the number is different. -How do you know? -90. They -- They put it online, right? -

Speaks indistinctly

at 7

Shlomi Stein

Speaks Yiddish

at 7

-Let me be the first one to congratulate you.

All cheer

at 7

-She made history! -41.1. -Ruchie made history! Congratulations, Your Honor. -Thank you. -Your Honor! -Your Honor!

Women singing indistinctly

at 7

- Aim higher, vote Freier - Let's go, Freier -Ah, she did it! -I was very nervous. -I know you were. -

Laughs

at 7

-I know. -She did it. She did it. -Right there. A teeny step this way and a step toward me and hands in the front. Perfect.

Camera shutter clicks

at 7

Camera shutter clicks

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-They said Borough Park is never going to vote for a woman for judge. So, they got that wrong.

Applause

at 7

Behind -- Uh, it used to be the other way, right? Behind every, uh, man, there's a woman? But behind every woman, there's a great man.

Cheers and applause

at 7

-It is a privilege for me to be here tonight, together with my parents, my wife, and children for my wife Ruchie, for her longtime dream to come true.

Cheers and applause

at 7

-I wanted to make it here today because I know a little bit about history, and I wanted to be in a room where we are making history here in the Borough of Brooklyn.

Applause

at 7

I would not have missed it. She is certainly breaking through glass ceilings, and that's why I wanted to be here. Right women? Make some noise. Come on.

Cheers and applause

at 7

Applause

at 7

-I have reached a watershed in my life. Yes, it is a dream, and my dream is now a reality. I want to take this opportunity to salute my fellow religious female EMTs for your unwavering support through --

Applause

at 7

My fellow EMTs -- We did two campaigns together. We created Ezras Nashim, the all-female volunteer EMT agency -- the first ever, Ezras Nashim. And you helped me win this campaign. You covered me for the shifts that I couldn't take, and you helped me prove that Hasidic women can do great things.

Cheers and applause

at 7

-I'm excited to be here with my daughter, because I look at her and I think she's going to have wonderful role models to look up to. She's gonna know that she can be anything that she sets her mind to -- she can be a judge, she can be a doctor, she can be a lawyer, she can be whatever she wants, and she doesn't have to sacrifice her religious beliefs or her practices in order to do the things that she dreams of.

Camera shutter clicking

at 7

-So, people have been calling me a feminist for many, many years, and when I started Ezras Nashim, it was just, like, blared all over the place. So, feminism in the Hasidic community has a very negative connotation. They will view it as a woman who wants to overstep the religious boundaries that are set up between men and women, and I follow all those halakic religious boundaries. Thanks for coming so early. -Wonderful. -Okay. But obviously, I couldn't achieve this position if the women who have been trailblazing for women's equality hadn't made it possible. So my connection with secular feminism I think is very obvious. But you -- you can't just, in one sentence, narrow me down to a few specific words. It just doesn't work with me.

Brakes screech

at 7

Conversing in Yiddish

at 7

Woman singing in native language

at 7