LAKEWOOD – Hatzolah of Central Jersey, the longtime Orthodox-led rescue squad, is publicly criticizing a new ambulance service that formed two years ago, claiming the rival outfit is harming its operation and urging residents not to call them.
That new service, Hatzulas Nefashos of Jackson, is a registered nonprofit under the name Jackson Jewish Volunteer Ambulance, according to its director, Yitzchok Birnhack.
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He says Hatzolah’s campaign to oppose them has sparked prank calls and false information being spread on social media and elsewhere.
“The last three months we have gotten phony calls and people telling us to shut down,” Birnhack said. “It is all about control, they want full control.”
Hatzolah leaders did not respond to requests for comment. The most recent salvo came in an August 26 letter sent to local residents and some media by Hatzolah of Central Jersey urging local citizens not to call the new service.
“It has come to our attention that an organization previously condemned by Rabbonim of all our towns for their unsanctioned and unnecessary services, has been aggressively promoting and advertising their hotline number using various gimmicks,” the letter said.
It later accused the organization of seeking to “closely mimic Hatzolah of Central Jersey” and claimed such confusion could cause a “potentially critical delay” during a crisis. The warning urges residents to remove any magnets, stickers or other “paraphernalia” promoting the rival EMS service from their homes.
A similar statement issued by an unknown group and claiming to have been signed by several dozen rabbinical leaders, was posted on several social media outlets and by Yeshiva World News of New York.
It accuses Hatzulas Nefashos of trying to “undermine Hatzolah of Central Jersey” while seeking to pass itself off as a similar operation and called it “unsanctioned.”
Launched two years ago, Hatzulas Nefashos claims to have 50 volunteers and seeks to fill a need created by the recent population growth that has affected Lakewood and the surrounding area.
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Hatzolah of Central Jersey, which dates back more than 40 years, boasts 200 volunteers and recently built a new headquarters after revealing demand had skyrocketed with twice as many calls as it had 14 years ago.
The increased demand is no surprise given that Lakewood’s population has grown from about 95,000 in 2010 to 135,000 in 2020 and is estimated to be approaching 150,000.
Hatzolah leaders said in February that emergency calls rose from about 10,000 in 2018 to nearly 20,000 in 2023.
Neither Hatzolah nor Hatzulas Nefashos are tied into the county 911 call system and respond to direct calls from residents seeking their services.
Created in 1981 as an EMT service for students at Beth Medrash Govoha, Hatzolah of Central Jersey has expanded to serve all of Lakewood and many nearby areas.
Birnhack, who moved to Jackson from Brooklyn five years ago, said he sought to launch Hatzulas Nefashos after a neighbor had difficulty getting an ambulance in an emergency.
He claims to have raised $3 million to launch the service, which has eight ambulances and serves Jackson, Toms River and Lakewood. The organization has yet to file an IRS form 990 disclosing its financial status.
Federal tax records indicate Hatzolah of Central Jersey raised more than $4.6 million in 2022 through donations and grants, with total revenue of about $5.6 million.
Since 2018, Hatzolah has received more than $18 million in donations and grants.
Hatzolah’s annual expenses run about $4.4 million per year, according to data. Tax documents list three full-time employees, each of whom earns more than $140,000.
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Some local Lakewood leaders joined in the condemnation of Hatzulas Nefashos, claiming it will hurt local emergency needs if it continues.
“The creation and continued operation of Hatzulas Nefashos is an unfortunate event,” said Rabbi Moshe Weisberg, spokesperson for the Lakewood VAAD, an influential group of political and business leaders. “The original Hatzolah has an extensive and constantly expanding service area, with dozens of highly trained EMTs… the arrival of Hatzulas Nefashos seems to be a service for which no need exists. It is at best duplicative, and at worst can potentially be life-threating as it sows confusion for a patient or family in an emergency -- when every second counts.”
Lakewood Mayor Ray Coles offered a similar rebuke: “Hatzolah has spent years perfecting their operation, training and response and for someone to come in and mimic that has caused a lot of unease in the community. When they pick up the phone and call Hatzolah they know they will get a good level of care. This new organization is an unknown.”
Birnhack said if residents prefer Hatzolah that is their choice. “If you don’t want our service, don’t call us. There are people out here who don’t want to call us and that’s fine.”
Birnhack said he has reached out to Hatzolah but has received no response. He also said he is considering legal action against the organization.
“We try to reach out to them but no good. I think they do not like competition,” he said.