Seconds Count.
Community Saving Lives.

Hatzalah, Hebrew for “rescue”, was started in Williamsburg, New York in 1965, for the purpose of responding to the unique cultural and religious needs of the Jewish community and improving pre-hospital emergency medical care. Over the years, Hatzalah has grown into the largest volunteer ambulance service in North America. In fact, Hatzalah members were some of the first EMS personnel to arrive at the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001. Hatzalah has chapters in cities throughout the country and world including California, Connecticut, Florida, Illinois, Maryland, Michigan, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, and Texas. Hatzalah has been instrumental in the saving of thousands of lives and in the assistance of others in their times of need.

Hatzalah Cleveland is a non-profit organization whose purpose is to rapidly respond to the emergency medical needs of the Cleveland Jewish community. Hatzalah Cleveland complements local fire/rescue services by providing rapid, high quality care within minutes of being dispatched. Hatzalah Cleveland also ensures that 911 has been called and EMTs continue to provide care and comfort, remaining with patients until care has been transferred to fire/rescue personnel.

Hatzalah Cleveland was started to help during those few precious minutes during which immediate and proper care may mean the difference between a patient surviving or not. Our primary goal is to provide trained volunteers capable of responding to any type of medical emergency in our communities.

Hatzalah Cleveland volunteers are in our schools, shuls, community institutions and neighborhoods. Each volunteer has the skill and equipment to quickly begin stabilizing patients until further medical emergency resources arrive on scene.

Additionally, injured or ill community members are at times uncertain whether medical attention is necessary. A quick assessment by a Hatzalah Cleveland Emergency Medical Technician can convince the patient to seek definitive care sooner than they would have otherwise.

If one is faced with a life-threatening emergency or even the potential of a life-threatening emergency, call Hatzalah Cleveland and 911 even on Shabbos.

Situations in which you should call include:

If you consider calling 911 for a medical-related issue, consider calling Hatzalah Cleveland as well.

Yes. Hatzalah Cleveland will not provide transportation to a hospital. Our goal is to provide immediate care and serve as a bridge until fire/rescue personnel arrive and assume patient care.

Additionally, we are not trained to diagnose problems. Determining the cause is not within our scope of practice. That is something to be determined by doctors.

Hatzalah Cleveland members have undergone training to become certified Emergency Medical Technicians. In addition, Hatzalah Cleveland members will also have additional medical training not required by the licensing organizations.

All Hatzalah Cleveland members are also be required to learn and understand the Jewish laws that apply to delivering medical care.

Yes. Continuing education training is mandatory and enables us to provide the best care possible. Each EMT is required to attend periodic continuing education classes and/or drills.

Yes. As part of our goal to improve outcomes of medical emergencies, Hatzalah Cleveland will offer members of the community the opportunity to take safety classes.

If you are interested in learning more about organizing one of the above classes, please contact us.

The most important reason is the federally-mandated HIPAA law, which legally forbids any member of Hatzalah from revealing any information about a patient to anyone. Please do not ask any Hatzalah Cleveland member about a patient’s condition or a call.

Hatzalah Cleveland is a community organization operating under the auspices and direction of its Rabbinical Board. We are an affiliate of Central Hatzalah of New York, the oldest and largest Jewish emergency-care volunteer organization in the world.

Hatzalah Cleveland is an IRS-recognized 501(c)(3) tax-exempt corporation funded only through private donations. One hundred percent of every dollar donated funds Hatzalah Cleveland’s operations. All Hatzalah Cleveland personnel are unpaid volunteers.

If a medical situation arises on Shabbos, and you are unsure if it is classified as an emergency, it should be treated as life-threatening and Hatzalah should be called.

All calls to Hatzalah should be made without hesitation, without shinuyim, and by phone to the Hatzalah Emergency line. The public is urged to pre-program their phones, so that calling Hatzalah requires minimum dialing. This will expedite treatment of Pikuach Nefesh, and minimize meleches Shabbos.

Hatzalah Cleveland is completely dependent on local residents volunteering to provide coverage in our community. We are always seeking new local volunteers to assist, and can help provide necessary training and support.

Call 216-353-6613, Hatzalah Cleveland’s non-emergency office number. If no one answers, please leave a message and someone will get back to you. You can also click the Contact Us link at the bottom of the page.