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
25155 Greenfield Road, Southfield
 @grove.kosher.detroit
Hours S 8 AM - 7 PM M - W 8 AM - 8 PM
T 8 AM - 9:30 PM F 7:30 AM - 6 PM S Closed

Everything you
 need for the 
perfect BBQ

