There was a time when a growing Jewish community celebrated the opening of a new shul or yeshivah as a sign that it had truly taken root. Today, another institution has become just as indispensable to communal life: a Hatzalah station.
That reality was on full display this past Sunday, June 28, as Catskills Hatzalah celebrated the k’vias mezuzah and chanukas ha’bayis of its new emergency response facility in Kiamesha Lake. Participating in the dedication was Rav Noach Isaac Oelbaum, Rav of Khal Nachlas Yitzchok in Kew Gardens Hills, whose presence reflected the deep respect our community holds for those who dedicate their lives to pikuach nefesh.
While the sight of rabbanim gathering to dedicate an emergency response facility may seem unusual at first glance, the building represents far more than a place to house ambulances. It serves as a vital lifeline for the thousands of families who spend their summers in the Catskills and the growing number who now call Sullivan County home throughout the year.
Strategically located to serve the Kiamesha Lake and Monticello corridors, the new facility houses ambulances, emergency equipment, a modern dispatch center, and residential quarters for experienced medics. This expanded infrastructure enables Catskills Hatzalah to provide faster, more consistent emergency coverage year-round while preparing for the dramatic population increase that arrives each summer.
The project, made possible through the generosity of the Bauer family, is ultimately an investment in precious time – the critical minutes that often determine the outcome of a medical emergency. Throughout the ceremony, speakers praised the extraordinary volunteers who leave their homes, families, and Shabbos tables without hesitation whenever the radio sounds. Their dedication has become a defining characteristic of Orthodox communities, where neighbors respond to neighbors with remarkable speed and compassion.
Rav Oelbaum spoke about the profound significance of the new facility, describing it as a source of shmirah not only for those who made the project possible, but for the entire community. Referring to the lifesaving work performed within its walls as a heilige zach, the Rav emphasized that every emergency response represents the fulfillment of the Torah’s highest priority: pikuach nefesh. Rav Oelbaum also reflected on the tremendous communal effort required to bring such a project to fruition, noting that while constructing a facility of this scale is no simple undertaking, the unity required to bring it to fruition is itself a tremendous z’chus. The Rav concluded by offering heartfelt brachos for the volunteers, expressing the hope that they should continue serving klal Yisrael successfully while the community be spared from ever needing their services.
Before concluding, Rav Oelbaum drew a moving parallel to the intricate halachos of Pesach concerning sakanas n’fashos. Just as people hope never to encounter circumstances requiring those difficult halachic rulings, the Rav offered a heartfelt brachah that the community should be zocheh to have this magnificent facility standing ready while rarely needing to call upon it.
By Shabsie Saphirstein
