Rozic’s $350K NYS Grant Makes It Possible; YIH Ceremony Celebration Held At YIH
On a bright and sunny Tuesday morning, April 22, leaders of Hatzolah of Queens & Great Neck gathered outside the Young Israel of Hillcrest to announce a $350,000 New York State grant, secured by Assemblymember Nily Rozic, for a new ambulance to serve the Queens region.
This event was not a dedication but a key milestone: the formal allocation of funds to replace the division’s oldest ambulance, Truck Q-904. In service since 2008, the vehicle has responded to thousands of emergency calls over the past 15 years and is currently the oldest in Chevra Hatzalah’s citywide fleet of over 105 vehicles.
The new ambulance will be the 13th in the Queens & Great Neck fleet, boosting emergency response capacity in the region. Chevra Hatzalah ambulances, equipped with four-wheel drive for all-weather response, are among the most advanced in the country. This added capacity is timely, as Hatzalah addresses growing demand for rapid, culturally competent care, especially during high-volume periods and communal emergencies.
Assemblymember Rozic spoke to attendees, reaffirming her commitment to supporting grassroots emergency organizations like Hatzalah with the resources they need to serve New Yorkers effectively.
“Hatzalah saves lives in our community,” Rozic said. “Their volunteers work tirelessly, and I’m proud to have secured $350,000 in state funding to ensure they can continue protecting our neighbors. This new ambulance will strengthen their operations and ensure rapid response when every second counts.”
The $350,000 grant is part of Rozic’s broader efforts to enhance community-based healthcare and local emergency response infrastructure. Her recent community investments also include a $50,000 grant for a new front yard fence at P.S. 390 in Bayside Hills and a $480,000 grant for a new science lab at P.S. 173 in Fresh Meadows.
Rabbi Yehiel Kalish (CEO-1), CEO of Chevra Hatzalah, also commented: “This new ambulance is more than a vehicle. It reflects our commitment to community care. We’re deeply grateful to Assemblywoman Rozic for her partnership and leadership in recognizing the importance of our work for the health and safety of New Yorkers.”
In attendance were three longtime coordinators of Hatzolah of Queens & Great Neck – Rabbi Binyamin Kessler (Q-56), Shiu Reichmann (Q-13), and Bernie Shafran (Q-68) – whose leadership has built the organization’s trusted presence across borough neighborhoods. Shiu Reichmann’s son, Nosson Reichmann (Q-142), now serves as a responder in the same division. Active volunteers who will operate the new ambulance were also present: Rabbi Binyamin Babayev (Q-361), Rabbi Daniel Binsky (Q-379), Moshe Savetsky (Q-339), Moshe Vatch (Q-42), and Yehuda Weinberg (Q-140).
After the ceremony, Rabbi Etan Schnall, mara d’asra of the Young Israel of Hillcrest, shared with the Queens Jewish Link his reflections on the Jewish commitment to chesed and pikuach nefesh, expressing gratitude to Assemblymember Rozic for her consistent support of the Jewish community and its lifesaving infrastructure.
“Nily Rozic has always been a true friend of our community, and Hatzalah is a critical resource,” Rabbi Schnall said. “We’re grateful to see them collaborate to ensure the safety and well-being of our neighbors with their usual dedication.”
As the event ended, the morning calm was broken by sirens – a live emergency call came over the radio. Volunteers immediately left the sidewalk to respond, a stark reminder that, for Hatzalah, the work never stops. Ceremonies matter, but action defines them.
From its start in Brooklyn in 1965 with a single refurbished ambulance, Chevra Hatzalah has grown into the largest volunteer ambulance corps in the US. The Queens & Great Neck division, launched in 1980 in Fresh Meadows and Hillcrest, is now one of Hatzalah’s most active branches, handling an average of 400 medical transports annually in Northeast Queens, including three to four critical hospital transports weekly. While founded to provide culturally sensitive emergency services for Jewish communities, Hatzolah of Queens & Great Neck now serves all New Yorkers, regardless of background or ability to pay.
Truck Q-904, added in 2008, improved response times across Hillcrest for Shabbos, overnight, and daily needs of the growing community. Today, the division operates over a dozen ambulances, each equipped with advanced life support systems and staffed by licensed responders trained in emergency care and halachah for Shabbos and Yom Tov emergencies.
With this new state funding, a next-generation ambulance will soon join the fleet, ensuring that Hatzalah’s mission of rapid, compassionate care continues for years to come.
By Shabsie Saphirstein
