Hatzoloh EMS of Rockland County has released its annual “2025 In Review” video, offering a look back at a busy year of emergency response and community service throughout Rockland County.
According to the year-end recap, Hatzoloh responded to 20,010 emergency calls in 2025, an increase compared to 17,873 calls in 2024. The data reflects a continued rise in demand for emergency medical services across the county.
The organization reported having more than 300 volunteers in 2025, all of whom are trained and on call to provide rapid, professional medical care at all hours of the day and night.
The newly released video highlights the dedication of Hatzoloh’s volunteers, the wide range of emergencies they responded to over the past year, and the critical role the organization plays in protecting the health and safety of the Rockland County community.
Wow. Over 20,000 calls and always ready. Huge respect to Hatzoloh and its volunteers for the lifesaving work they do every day.
Wow—this is truly amazing. So much lifesaving work, and such extraordinary dedication and self-sacrifice from the members and volunteers.
That said, I would like to ask a sincere question:
Why now—right in the middle of Teves?
Would this not have been more appropriate to share during the period of Selichos?
In other words, why are we marking the secular New Year at all?
Do we not have our own calendar?
Would it not be more fitting to present all of this at the beginning of the year 5786, rather than 2026?
The deeper and more fundamental question is this: Who are we?
What is our identity, and how do we define ourselves?
What lies at the core of who we are, and what is merely incidental?
Do we see ourselves as Americans who also happen to be Torah-observant Jews?
Or rather, are we first and foremost Jews—committed to Torah and mitzvos—who, by circumstance, are currently living in exile in America, compelled to live among the broader society and conduct ourselves properly within it?
From that perspective, when we interact with the surrounding world, we may need to use the Gregorian calendar so that others understand what we are referring to—but that does not mean it defines us.
On a personal level, when I vote in elections, it is not because “I am American” in essence. It is because I currently live here, and if there is someone who can better help me—and my fellow Jews—live a Jewish life, I will choose to exercise my democratic right so that such a person is the one sitting in positions of decision-making power.
Similarly, in my view, the horrific massacre carried out by Hamas did not take place on October 7th—it occurred on Simchas Torah.
And the Twin Towers did not fall on September 11th, but on the 23rd of Elul.