Hatzolah is an organization like no other. Day or night, Shabbos, or Yom Tov – when a call comes in, Hatzolah is there for us. A Hatzolah volunteer could be in the middle of doing homework with his child, helping around the house, or participating in an intense business meeting, but when the Hatzolah radio goes off, he is out the door.

Our Sages tell us that Galus Mitzrayim is a prototype and the root of all future exiles (B’reishis Rabbah 16:4). There are many lessons that we can learn from Miriam and her “students” that are both relevant and relatable to the challenges we, as Jewish women, are facing today.

Should lifesaving measures be denied to the developmentally disabled, the very old, the very sick, in order to use those resources for the higher-functioning, the younger, the more likely to survive? Is one life more valuable than another? In the presence of unending, life-threatening risk, must we abandon all the daily routines that define and structure our lives? What can we do – what must we do – to protect our parents, our families, ourselves?

On Election Day, Council Member Donovan Richards showed support with the Kew Gardens Hills community with a campaign stop at P.S. 164, the Queens Valley School of Arts. Richards, who was challenged by Republican Joann Ariola, cruised to victory in the race for Queens Borough President. Richards was joined by Assembly Member Daniel Rosenthal, who himself was up for reelection, unopposed, along with community activist Sorolle Idels.