JUNE 24 • 2021 | 19

edented scale and, despite
that, they did what they were
supposed to and didn’t fail.”

CLOSE-KNIT COMMUNITY
There’s more to being a
member of Hatzalah than the
willingness to respond to a call
at a moment’s notice. Because
many of the people they serve
in Oak Park and Southfield
are Orthodox Jews, Hatzalah
volunteers are also trained in
Halachah (Jewish law) so they
can navigate lifesaving skills,
such as the need to drive on
Shabbos, while keeping to
Torah law. The organization
has a local rabbinic coordi-
nator that runs a class every
other week. Volunteers are
required to attend a minimum
number of classes each year.
Those who can’t attend each
class are emailed information
on the laws discussed.
Hatzalah is also like a family,
according to Dr. McGraw. “I
may be an Irish Catholic kid,
but the Orthodox community
is my community now, too.
”
He was reminded of that
recently, with the death of
someone who “embodied
the spirit of Hatzalah,
” Rabbi
Yehuda Kranczer, 47, who
died as he lived, serving the
community he loved. His fel-
low Hatzalah members were
unable to resuscitate him after
he’
d suffered cardiac arrest.
“It was heartbreaking, a
gut punch,
” Dr. McGraw said.
“He’
d been with Hatzalah
since before the beginning. A
little bit of a headwind never
mattered to him. He saw what
we could do with more clarity
than anybody.
”
According to Guzman, two
days before his death, Rabbi
Kranzcer met with her at the
health department, dropping
off COVID testing samples
from homebound patients.
“He said to me ‘What do you
need help with?’ I told him we
were having trouble getting

out to some homebound res-
idents. He said, ‘I’ll vaccinate
anyone — just give me a list.
I’m yours.
”
At Rabbi Kranzcer’s funeral,
McGraw said he was “sur-
rounded by folks grieving
similarly to me, which made
it bearable in some way. He
leaves monumental shoes to
fill. I’m comfortable people will
step up to fill them, though.
He was so widely loved and
admired that no one would let
his legacy go unfulfilled.
”
Like Rabbi Kranzcer,
Hatzalah volunteers are ded-
icated to hatzalas nefashos,
the saving of lives. Volunteer
Rabbi Shragie Myers recounts
one memorable
call he made
where the patient
was having an
allergic reaction
and couldn’t catch
their breath. “To
be able to get
there and give
lifesaving oxygen,
” Myers said,
“it was a surreal experience to
be giving someone life. Here
was a person gasping, and I
had the training and the equip-
ment to give oxygen. It was the
most incredible experience.
”
Myers says he became a
volunteer so he could have
that opportunity. “In Judaism,
when you save a life — or
prolong a life — you save the
whole world,
” he said. “There
are three pillars of Judaism:
Torah, service to God and
kindness. Standing at the
ready 24-7 adds the element of
kindness to everything I do.
”
The number of lives saved
by Hatzalah MI has been
amazing, Oseroff said. “Within
seconds, people can receive
lifesaving help from people
dedicated to taking from their
time to help any person in
need. We’re here to help.
”

For more information on Hatzalah of

Michigan, visit: mihatzalah.org.

Rabbi
Shragie
Myers

P 248-569-5000
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