93Queen

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93QUEEN is the inspirational story of Rachel “Ruchie” Freier, a no-nonsense Hasidic lawyer and mother of six who is determined to shake up the boy’s club in her community by creating Ezras Nashim, the first all-female volunteer ambulance corps in New York City.

In the Hasidic enclave of Borough Park, Brooklyn, EMS corps have long been the province of men. Though the neighborhood is home to the largest volunteer ambulance corps in the world, that organization has steadfastly banned women from its ranks. Now Ruchie and a group of tenacious Hasidic women are risking their reputations and the futures of their children to provide dignified emergency medical care to the Hasidic women and girls of Borough Park. Through it all, we see them grappling to balance their faith with their nascent feminism, even as they are confronted by the patriarchal attitudes that so dominate Hasidic society.

With unprecedented insider access, 93QUEEN offers a unique portrayal of a group of empowered religious women who are taking matters into their own hands to change their own community from within.

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Main credits

Eiselt, Paula (film director)
Eiselt, Paula (film producer)
Eiselt, Paula (director of photography)
Reinberg, Heidi (film producer)
Freier, Rachel (on-screen participant)

Other credits

Cinematographer, Paula Eiselt; edited by Sunita Prasad and Rebecca Laks; music by Laura Karpman.

MARC Record See Worldcat record

Keywords

Religion, Hasidic, Brooklyn, New York City, Health, Community, Women, Business, feminism, Hasidism, medical care; "93Queen"; Women Make Movies

00:00:10.433 --> 00:00:12.799
♪

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(train chugging)

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(brakes squeak)

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♪ (woman singing in Hebrew)

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♪

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Hmm. I need you there.

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The-- the latest
I need you--

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the latest that you could come
would be at 7:45.

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(car horn honking)

00:01:41.901 --> 00:01:44.067
Okay, bye.

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Oh, right.
Here we are, parking.

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This is Borough Park,
and to find parking

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is nothing short
of a miracle.

00:01:54.534 --> 00:01:55.600
Okay, okay.

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I grew up in Borough Park.

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It's a big Hasidic community
in New York City.

00:02:06.634 --> 00:02:09.467
As soon as you walk into
the streets of Borough Park,

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you can smell the challah.

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You will see men who are dressed
in Hasidic tradition.

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You will see the supermarkets
have only kosher food.

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The newspaper stand filled up
with Yiddish newspapers,

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Hebrew newspapers.

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We're almost like
in a self-contained bubble.

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♪

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Rifke, how are you?
Tomorrow' s the party.

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I can send you an email,
but tomorrow is the party.

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What time?
Uh, it should be
on the email.

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Okay, thanks.
Bye-bye.

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(Ruchie)
Religious women
are the busiest creatures.

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The average woman is walking
in the street with at least

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four or five little kids
that are around her,

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and that's not even
her whole, entire family.

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The focus of a woman
is being a mother.

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Any profession or extra
schooling is discouraged.

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It's Ruchie.

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Okay, come in.

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Okay.

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(buzzer)

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But the worst thing
to tell me

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is that I cannot do something
because I'm a woman

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and because
I'm a religious woman.

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That's the worst thing
to tell me.

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Fasten your seatbelts.
Now let's move.

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Okay.

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♪

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(man praying in Hebrew)

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(indistinct chatter)

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Okay, bye, everybody!
Leah and Faigy, bye!

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(indistinct farewells)

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Bye!

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Bye.
Okay, bye, sweetheart.

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(all)
Bye.

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♪ (woman singing in Hebrew)

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(crowd chattering)

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(Ruchie)
In Hasidism,

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there is a huge divide
between the genders.

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♪

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A man can't even
shake my hand.

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(siren)

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There is an exception
to the rule.

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When there's
a life-threatening emergency,

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then it's okay for someone

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who's not your husband
to touch you,

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but most Hasidic women
want a woman to help them.

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The problem is that the existing
emergency volunteer corps,

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Hatzolah, used by everybody,
is comprised only of men.

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And I think that we need
to have another option.

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Okay.

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Hello!

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(indistinct chatter)

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More and more stories
are happening.

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Women are having babies
at home,

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and the EMTs are all men.

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So let's create the choice

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and form a separate all-woman
ambulance corps, right?

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So I want you just to hear
the story of how I got involved.

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I get a phone call:
"We're a group of women.

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"We really wanted to
join Hatzolah for many years,

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"and we wanted to--
we're still doulas, most of us.

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"And Hatzolah
doesn't want to take us in.

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"And we-- we were told that
we should really, you know,

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"in order to get
our organization going,

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we should really get a woman
lawyer who's gonna help us."

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(woman)
You're a lawyer?

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Yeah, I'm a lawyer.

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(overlapping chatter)
I am!

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You can't be both.

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(Ruchie)
Why not?

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So when I first went to
Hatzolah, and I said to them,

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"Please take women in."

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"Oh, no!" they told me.

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No, because they think

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that women
aren't fast enough,

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strong enough,
or smart enough.

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(woman)
And they think what?

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And I think we are.

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By the way,
the classic thing is,

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"Ruchie, do you think
you'll be able to handle

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"a woman who goes into labor
at 3:00 in the morning,

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"on the third floor
with no elevator,

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who weighs 300 pounds?"

00:07:05.967 --> 00:07:07.133
Now, I wanted to--

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I'll tell you one thing.

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I will do the same thing
the a Hatzolah member will do.

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I will call for backup.

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(overlapping chatter)

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Just us, religious women,
can't do this?

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We can have babies every year,
but just being an EMT

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is something we can't do?

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Of course we can do it.

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(siren)

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(indistinct radio chatter)

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(man)
Always on call,

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arriving in record time,

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Hatzolah Borough Park
provides an exceptional sense

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of comfort and calmness
within the community.

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♪

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With over 50 calls a day,

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Borough Park Hatzolah volunteers

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still respond
in a moment's notice.

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(siren)

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(siren stops)

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(man)
People think emergency,
and they think Hatzolah.

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Hatzolah has anywhere from
a one to three-minute

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response time for most calls,

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and no other
ambulance system match that.

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♪

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Minute for minute,
for response time,

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there's no way
that women can match men.

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In Judaism, a woman's place
is the home,

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and I say that with respect.

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It is their duty to stay home
and raise the children.

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(clatter)

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I usually prepare supper

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before I leave the house
in the morning.

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'Cause I have to know
when I come home

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that dinner is done.

00:09:12.399 --> 00:09:14.200
(oven beeping)

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My oven usually is set
to go on at 3:00.

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That's how I do it.

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(keys jingling)

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(door creaks)

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It's me!

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Rachel Freier.

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This is for Rachel.

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Rachel, lotta stuff
for Rachel.

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(Ruchie)
Lotta stuff?

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Yeah, Rach-- you're
getting a lot of stuff.

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I don't know,
it looks like they like you.

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You'd think you're the President
of the United States.

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So much mail's coming here.

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♪

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(Ruchie)
Going to law school was
something that happened

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really slowly over time.

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I became a legal secretary
first, when I turned 30,

00:10:01.800 --> 00:10:03.434
and suddenly it hit me

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that I cannot be happy
my whole life being a secretary.

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I-- I-- I need more.

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I decided to go law school,

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and it was a very big
struggle for me,

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because I have six kids,

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and I grew up getting
the message

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that you weren't going
to be able to raise a family

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and be the mother,
a true mother,

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if you were going to
have a career.

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College took me six years.

00:10:27.201 --> 00:10:28.499
So by the time
I got my law degree,

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I was already 40.

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My kids were
coming to school,

00:10:34.934 --> 00:10:38.600
and the girls were talking
about Mommy becoming a lawyer.

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So I guess the school
got concerned,

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and they called me down.

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The first question
to me was,

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"Maybe you want to take your
children out of the school

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because it's not really what
we encourage our girls to do."

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♪ (woman singing in Hebrew)

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It wasn't something that
people were ready to accept.

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♪

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And I really want in the future
to be a judge.

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♪

00:11:16.467 --> 00:11:18.835
(Tzvi)
A lotta lotta work here.

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So that's why I'm still
sitting here today

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and not retired.

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This ladies ambulance thing,

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it makes me nervous,
especially when I hear

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how-- how the men are--

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are really
banging down about it.

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And then, like, saying
it's, like, not gonna work.

00:11:38.768 --> 00:11:40.967
And the truth is,
it's really a new thing.

00:11:41.034 --> 00:11:42.134
It's risky.

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I told my wife,
I want it to work.

00:11:44.034 --> 00:11:46.467
I want a success with it.

00:11:46.533 --> 00:11:48.034
But the problem is,

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she doesn't
know where to stop,

00:11:49.434 --> 00:11:51.435
know where to...

00:11:51.501 --> 00:11:54.401
What yes, what not,
you know, each project.

00:11:54.467 --> 00:11:56.967
So it's-- it's not easy.

00:11:57.034 --> 00:11:58.467
A lot of men told me
they would not be able to--

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to-- be able to--
to survive.

00:12:00.400 --> 00:12:02.367
(chuckling)

00:12:02.433 --> 00:12:04.933
(indistinct chatter)

00:12:10.134 --> 00:12:13.167
Well, this is my very messy,
busy laundry room.

00:12:13.234 --> 00:12:15.334
With my extra freezer.

00:12:15.401 --> 00:12:17.834
And here is what
makes me happy.

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When it's all filled up
with homemade challah.

00:12:20.700 --> 00:12:21.968
Packed, packed.

00:12:22.034 --> 00:12:23.700
So I have no idea
how many challas I have.

00:12:23.767 --> 00:12:25.734
This is the second time
that I refilled my freezer.

00:12:25.800 --> 00:12:27.667
♪

00:12:27.733 --> 00:12:30.000
(indistinct chatter)

00:12:34.967 --> 00:12:36.900
(child laughing)

00:12:39.100 --> 00:12:40.466
(Ruchie)
Hi, how are you?

00:12:42.234 --> 00:12:45.166
We actually put an ad now
in the "Torah Times."

00:12:45.233 --> 00:12:46.467
Yeah.

00:12:46.534 --> 00:12:49.301
I just put down,
"Emergency medical training.

00:12:49.368 --> 00:12:52.634
Advanced first aid,
by women for women."

00:12:52.701 --> 00:12:54.234
I want to get it
started already.

00:12:54.300 --> 00:12:56.400
I wanna get it off the ground.

00:13:07.500 --> 00:13:11.200
This is my nicer one
for holidays

00:13:11.267 --> 00:13:13.200
and-- and Shabbos and stuff,

00:13:13.267 --> 00:13:14.766
and then these
are the random heads.

00:13:16.066 --> 00:13:17.867
I find these terrifying.

00:13:17.934 --> 00:13:21.100
And that's why they're
not in my line of sight,

00:13:21.167 --> 00:13:22.867
so that I don't see them
in the middle of the night.

00:13:22.934 --> 00:13:25.167
Because if you wake up and
that's the first thing you see,

00:13:25.234 --> 00:13:28.000
it will cause nightmares.

00:13:28.067 --> 00:13:30.234
I started covering my hair
when I got married,

00:13:30.301 --> 00:13:32.200
and, unfortunately,
it didn't work out.

00:13:32.267 --> 00:13:36.034
Um, and I was divorced.
I got divorced this year.

00:13:36.100 --> 00:13:38.800
By Hassidic standards,
to be unmarried and 29

00:13:38.867 --> 00:13:42.467
and not have kids,
that's like...

00:13:42.534 --> 00:13:44.433
bad, practically
in my grave.

00:13:44.500 --> 00:13:46.800
Uh... I'm a mole.

00:13:46.867 --> 00:13:49.567
I decided to sign up
for EMT training because

00:13:49.634 --> 00:13:53.700
no woman should ever be too
embarrassed to call for help.

00:13:53.767 --> 00:13:56.700
You're talking about
women who...

00:13:56.767 --> 00:13:58.567
no one's ever seen
their naked legs

00:13:58.634 --> 00:14:00.734
except for their husband.

00:14:00.800 --> 00:14:02.268
They've never been
with a m--

00:14:02.335 --> 00:14:05.834
I mean, for someone who's
not from religious background

00:14:05.901 --> 00:14:08.134
to conceive of the idea
that a woman has never been

00:14:08.201 --> 00:14:09.635
with anybody but her husband,
she's not...

00:14:09.701 --> 00:14:12.635
Not only has she never had sex
with anybody but her husband,

00:14:12.701 --> 00:14:14.935
she's never
so much as held hands
with anybody but her husband.

00:14:15.001 --> 00:14:17.534
She's never so much as kissed
anyone but her husband.

00:14:17.601 --> 00:14:20.100
And then suddenly
there's ten men in her room

00:14:20.167 --> 00:14:23.167
while she's exposed from
the waist down?

00:14:23.234 --> 00:14:25.400
(traffic noise)

00:14:28.068 --> 00:14:30.167
So, at the end of the day,
we just don't want women

00:14:30.234 --> 00:14:31.300
to have to go through that.

00:14:38.767 --> 00:14:39.967
(typing)

00:14:41.701 --> 00:14:43.433
(Ruchie)
Okay...

00:14:51.534 --> 00:14:53.133
Look at the comments.

00:14:57.867 --> 00:14:59.233
(sighs)

00:15:02.800 --> 00:15:06.533
♪

00:15:36.000 --> 00:15:37.934
We've been always told

00:15:38.000 --> 00:15:41.201
that this is a job
that's for the men.

00:15:41.267 --> 00:15:43.633
The community trust Hatzolah.

00:15:43.700 --> 00:15:44.834
So to come and to say

00:15:44.901 --> 00:15:48.134
that now we wanna do
something different,

00:15:48.201 --> 00:15:50.001
it makes people sit
and wonder and think,

00:15:50.068 --> 00:15:53.166
"Well, is it going to work,
and how is it going to work?"

00:15:54.934 --> 00:15:58.099
So... that's
the million-dollar question.

00:15:59.599 --> 00:16:02.099
♪

00:16:15.601 --> 00:16:18.367
The community itself will
rebel against any organization

00:16:18.433 --> 00:16:20.733
trying to do things
against Hatzolah.

00:16:20.800 --> 00:16:23.867
(siren)

00:16:23.933 --> 00:16:26.700
In reality, there are
gender-specific roles.

00:16:26.767 --> 00:16:28.700
We've never had
a woman president.

00:16:28.766 --> 00:16:32.900
Most CEOs are still men.

00:16:32.967 --> 00:16:34.000
Sometimes, it's just
the way it is,

00:16:34.067 --> 00:16:35.899
whether you like it or not.

00:16:37.233 --> 00:16:38.966
(indistinct chatter)

00:16:42.733 --> 00:16:44.466
Hi, Lee.
I'm Rachel Freier.

00:16:44.533 --> 00:16:46.233
Welcome to Buffalo.

00:16:46.300 --> 00:16:48.167
Thank you so much.
Thank you for coming.

00:16:48.233 --> 00:16:50.467
This is my mother.
Hi, Mom.

00:16:50.533 --> 00:16:53.100
We both took the EMT course
together.

00:16:53.167 --> 00:16:55.999
It's amazing.
We use you as the example

00:16:56.066 --> 00:16:58.333
of out-of-the-box thinking.

00:16:58.400 --> 00:16:59.334
(laughing)
I've got a problem.

00:16:59.401 --> 00:17:01.233
Well, Rachel
will figure it out.

00:17:04.767 --> 00:17:07.567
Oh, wow, take
a look at this.

00:17:07.633 --> 00:17:10.234
♪

00:17:10.301 --> 00:17:13.534
Whoa.
Is that defibrillators?

00:17:13.601 --> 00:17:16.267
This is one of the premiere
ALS defibrillators.

00:17:17.534 --> 00:17:19.201
It'll do everything.
Yeah.

00:17:19.267 --> 00:17:20.333
Where are you from?

00:17:20.400 --> 00:17:21.834
Brooklyn.
Brooklyn?

00:17:21.901 --> 00:17:24.534
I'm the director
of this new organization.

00:17:24.601 --> 00:17:27.000
That's my contact
information.
Thank you.

00:17:27.067 --> 00:17:29.034
Nice to meet you, Rachel.
Likewise.

00:17:29.101 --> 00:17:31.101
You won't be offended
if I don't shake your hand?

00:17:31.168 --> 00:17:33.901
No, not at all.
I'm with the ultra-orthodox
Hassidic community.

00:17:33.968 --> 00:17:35.434
Agreed.
That's where I come from.

00:17:35.501 --> 00:17:36.734
Take a look at this...

00:17:36.801 --> 00:17:38.733
♪ (woman vocalizing)

00:17:51.567 --> 00:17:52.868
Thank you.

00:17:52.934 --> 00:17:56.367
The existing corps
did not want to take women?

00:17:56.434 --> 00:17:58.000
Right.
Really?

00:17:58.067 --> 00:17:59.034
So, you know what?

00:17:59.101 --> 00:18:00.133
We decided
if you can't--

00:18:00.200 --> 00:18:02.334
if you can't join 'em,
beat 'em.

00:18:02.400 --> 00:18:03.900
♪

00:18:21.433 --> 00:18:22.800
(traffic noise)

00:18:40.301 --> 00:18:42.034
Yes, we need something
for the ladies, too.

00:18:42.101 --> 00:18:43.966
The men have everything.
Something for the ladies.

00:18:55.467 --> 00:18:58.933
(car horn blaring)

00:19:01.233 --> 00:19:03.333
(women chattering)

00:19:12.266 --> 00:19:14.366
Say "Ezras Nashim."

00:19:14.433 --> 00:19:15.600
(laughing)
"EMT!"

00:19:15.667 --> 00:19:16.700
(laughter)

00:19:16.767 --> 00:19:18.667
"EMT" works.
That works.

00:19:18.734 --> 00:19:20.800
So let me tell you,
let me show you

00:19:20.866 --> 00:19:22.966
who are the founders
of Ezras Nashim.

00:19:23.033 --> 00:19:24.833
Yocheved Lerner.

00:19:24.900 --> 00:19:26.799
She was actually--
she rode ambulances.

00:19:26.866 --> 00:19:27.966
Nice to meet you.

00:19:28.033 --> 00:19:29.733
Like, you have
over 1,000 calls?

00:19:29.800 --> 00:19:31.333
Over 1,000 calls
over 14 years.

00:19:31.400 --> 00:19:33.499
This is my 24th year
as an EMT.

00:19:33.566 --> 00:19:34.666
Very nice.

00:19:34.733 --> 00:19:35.700
She just moved
to Brooklyn.

00:19:35.767 --> 00:19:36.867
When did you
move to Brooklyn?

00:19:36.933 --> 00:19:38.234
Five years.
Five years ago.

00:19:38.300 --> 00:19:39.734
She says,
"What do you mean--"

00:19:39.801 --> 00:19:42.434
And she recently
became religious.

00:19:42.500 --> 00:19:44.200
She says,
"Hey, wait a minute.

00:19:44.267 --> 00:19:47.634
Women aren't in Hatzolah?
That doesn't make sense."

00:19:47.700 --> 00:19:49.633
And then I met her,
and she tells me,

00:19:49.700 --> 00:19:50.900
"You gotta make it happen."

00:19:50.966 --> 00:19:51.900
(woman)
Yeah.

00:19:51.966 --> 00:19:53.900
For the past
30 years.

00:19:53.967 --> 00:19:55.800
Could you not
get on the table?

00:19:55.867 --> 00:19:58.500
So this is my friend.
I'm friends with the animals.

00:19:58.567 --> 00:20:00.867
I like them.
(chuckling)

00:20:00.934 --> 00:20:04.367
His name is JJ,
the famous rabbi.

00:20:04.433 --> 00:20:06.133
(chuckling)
Rabbi JJ.

00:20:06.200 --> 00:20:07.633
No, we did name
him after him,

00:20:07.700 --> 00:20:10.534
but we meant no disrespect.

00:20:10.600 --> 00:20:12.366
Nobody knows that
until now.

00:20:14.034 --> 00:20:17.367
We came here to Brooklyn.
We didn't have much, um...

00:20:17.434 --> 00:20:20.067
We came here because
I needed to be here.

00:20:20.134 --> 00:20:22.667
Uh, my daughter needed
a religious environment

00:20:22.734 --> 00:20:23.833
that I could not provide,

00:20:23.900 --> 00:20:27.967
having had no religious
education whatsoever.

00:20:28.034 --> 00:20:31.066
For nearly a year,
we lived in a studio,

00:20:31.133 --> 00:20:33.500
which was a nightmare,
she and I.

00:20:33.567 --> 00:20:35.501
Subsequently,
I did get married.

00:20:35.568 --> 00:20:39.101
So when we got the one bedroom,
it was, like, totally exciting.

00:20:39.167 --> 00:20:43.966
And, um... what we did was
we cordoned off

00:20:44.033 --> 00:20:45.867
a little section.

00:20:45.933 --> 00:20:48.800
This is her little section
of the universe.

00:20:48.867 --> 00:20:52.733
It's not much,
but she's happy with it.

00:20:52.800 --> 00:20:57.600
I always had an extremely
pervasive interest in religion.

00:20:57.667 --> 00:21:00.134
From the earliest
I can remember.

00:21:00.201 --> 00:21:02.934
I used to actually like it
when we'd go away...

00:21:03.001 --> 00:21:04.167
and we'd stay in a motel,

00:21:04.234 --> 00:21:06.335
and there'd be a Bible
in the drawer.

00:21:06.402 --> 00:21:09.434
My grandmother used to say,
"You're Jewish, that's enough."

00:21:09.501 --> 00:21:12.901
It wasn't quite enough,
but at least it was a start.

00:21:12.967 --> 00:21:14.867
(whispering prayer)

00:21:24.133 --> 00:21:26.667
♪

00:21:38.501 --> 00:21:40.667
(whispering)
Oh, my gosh.

00:21:47.467 --> 00:21:49.133
Amazing.

00:21:50.668 --> 00:21:53.567
I really wanted
to have the women

00:21:53.634 --> 00:21:56.833
really get the experience
of what it feels like

00:21:56.900 --> 00:21:57.967
to deliver a baby,

00:21:58.034 --> 00:22:00.200
and this is the way
to do it.

00:22:04.266 --> 00:22:06.833
(indistinct chatter)

00:22:08.867 --> 00:22:12.666
(woman screaming in labor
on monitor)

00:22:18.300 --> 00:22:22.800
Okay, women have been
having babies since... Eve.

00:22:22.867 --> 00:22:23.934
(scattered chuckles)
You know?

00:22:24.001 --> 00:22:26.234
And, we are, you know,
practicing for

00:22:26.301 --> 00:22:28.334
that one moment when
something doesn't go right.

00:22:28.401 --> 00:22:30.600
And how to respond it,
how we can better
respond to it.

00:22:30.667 --> 00:22:32.533
(overlapping chatter)

00:22:32.600 --> 00:22:33.967
So let's say--

00:22:34.034 --> 00:22:35.168
You should be
at the head of the baby.

00:22:35.234 --> 00:22:37.834
But... you should be kind of
positioned at the table.

00:22:37.901 --> 00:22:39.334
Okay. It's not very...
Yeah.

00:22:39.400 --> 00:22:40.600
not very effective.

00:22:40.667 --> 00:22:42.633
Oh, you know what?
Oh, we're good.

00:22:42.700 --> 00:22:43.967
Let's go with
the end over here,

00:22:44.034 --> 00:22:45.733
because it's--
No! I like it...

00:22:45.800 --> 00:22:46.766
(overlapping chatter)

00:22:46.833 --> 00:22:48.133
Stay comfortable.

00:22:48.200 --> 00:22:49.900
But aren't you
supposed to be...

00:22:49.966 --> 00:22:51.000
at the head?

00:22:51.066 --> 00:22:53.134
I am at the head.

00:22:53.200 --> 00:22:54.801
Just grab...

00:22:54.867 --> 00:22:57.168
Up, it's chin up.
You gotta get the chin up.

00:22:57.234 --> 00:22:58.468
And then you were just
going like this.

00:22:58.534 --> 00:23:01.134
That wasn't the right thing.
You must be at the head.

00:23:01.201 --> 00:23:03.167
Ruchie, you can't
always be at the head.

00:23:03.234 --> 00:23:05.067
There's going to be
a situation where
there is no head!

00:23:05.134 --> 00:23:07.467
The baby's on the floor.
This is emergency!

00:23:07.534 --> 00:23:08.933
How long have you guys
known each other?

00:23:08.999 --> 00:23:10.201
Short while.

00:23:10.267 --> 00:23:12.233
Short while?
You guys are arguing like

00:23:12.300 --> 00:23:13.633
you've known each other
for many years.

00:23:13.700 --> 00:23:15.200
(laughter)

00:23:15.266 --> 00:23:18.966
That's what
Ezras Nashim did to us!

00:23:19.033 --> 00:23:21.833
One, two, three.
(man)
Okay.

00:23:21.900 --> 00:23:23.866
Good chest rise.
(woman)
Yeah.

00:23:23.933 --> 00:23:25.333
Good. We're good.

00:23:26.900 --> 00:23:29.500
Come, Dovey.
Come.

00:23:29.566 --> 00:23:31.767
Oopsy. Come.

00:23:31.833 --> 00:23:34.133
(indistinct)

00:23:34.200 --> 00:23:36.933
Yighty, tiny baby.
This isn't a tiny baby.

00:23:37.000 --> 00:23:38.666
Come, come.

00:23:38.733 --> 00:23:40.300
Yeah.
Okay.

00:23:40.367 --> 00:23:42.967
There definitely are some people
that are stuck on the idea

00:23:43.034 --> 00:23:44.867
that women belong at home,

00:23:44.934 --> 00:23:46.767
or they're weak,
they can't handle it.

00:23:46.834 --> 00:23:47.833
Leave them at home
with the children,

00:23:47.900 --> 00:23:49.866
let them bake some cakes,
you know.

00:23:49.933 --> 00:23:51.367
(phone beeping)

00:23:51.433 --> 00:23:53.767
♪

00:23:53.834 --> 00:23:55.500
Hi, this is Yitty Mandel.

00:23:55.567 --> 00:23:57.300
I'm calling about
the EMT classes.

00:23:57.367 --> 00:23:59.701
One of the ladies in your group
wants to change the class

00:23:59.767 --> 00:24:02.101
from Wednesday to Thursday--
is that okay with you?

00:24:02.168 --> 00:24:05.435
I have no problem saying that
women can do anything.

00:24:05.501 --> 00:24:09.534
There is nothing a man can do
that a woman can't do better.

00:24:09.600 --> 00:24:11.500
♪

00:24:11.567 --> 00:24:13.900
I originally wanted
to be a doctor,

00:24:13.967 --> 00:24:16.067
but it was never
the right time to do it.

00:24:16.134 --> 00:24:19.400
I was 20 right before
I got married.

00:24:19.467 --> 00:24:21.567
(chuckling)

00:24:21.634 --> 00:24:25.200
We're a small family right now.
Four children.

00:24:25.267 --> 00:24:28.867
Three boys, one girl.

00:24:28.934 --> 00:24:32.433
And I have wedding tonight.
Getting my wig done.

00:24:32.500 --> 00:24:34.367
So let's go.

00:24:34.433 --> 00:24:35.867
(hairspray can hissing)

00:24:37.234 --> 00:24:38.167
(Yitty)
What's doing?

00:24:39.234 --> 00:24:40.633
This is me here?

00:24:42.201 --> 00:24:44.068
A married woman
covers her hair.

00:24:44.135 --> 00:24:46.835
And for me, the nicest
way to cover it is with a wig

00:24:46.901 --> 00:24:50.634
that looks really pretty,
unlike here.

00:24:50.701 --> 00:24:51.834
(hair dryer shuts off)

00:24:51.901 --> 00:24:53.134
Some of my hair's
turning white.

00:24:53.201 --> 00:24:54.567
Did I tell you, Sue,
that I have some white hair?

00:24:54.633 --> 00:24:55.567
(chuckling)

00:24:55.633 --> 00:24:56.801
It's pathetic.

00:24:56.868 --> 00:24:58.700
Okay, so most of the people
that come here

00:24:58.767 --> 00:25:00.400
shave their hair?
Yeah.

00:25:00.467 --> 00:25:02.634
Pretty much
I would say 98%.

00:25:02.701 --> 00:25:03.966
Why do we shave our hair?

00:25:05.667 --> 00:25:06.934
Somehow,
there's something--

00:25:07.001 --> 00:25:10.234
What is hair called?
Hair from a woman has a name.

00:25:10.300 --> 00:25:11.934
It's con-- it's con--
It's-- it's like...

00:25:12.001 --> 00:25:13.434
It's like considered
a body part

00:25:13.501 --> 00:25:14.900
that should
be covered, right?

00:25:14.967 --> 00:25:16.434
Isn't that what--
is that the reason why?

00:25:16.501 --> 00:25:18.001
Look at us,
such uneducated women.

00:25:18.068 --> 00:25:19.401
We don't even know why
we cut it, we're such idiots.

00:25:19.468 --> 00:25:20.633
We just cut it 'cause
they tell us to cut it.

00:25:20.700 --> 00:25:22.233
(laughing)
That's even better.

00:25:22.300 --> 00:25:23.801
That means--
By the way-- yeah!

00:25:23.867 --> 00:25:25.667
Look how good we are.
We just do it because
we were told.

00:25:25.734 --> 00:25:27.933
We don't even question it.
We just do it.

00:25:34.600 --> 00:25:35.700
It's true.

00:25:39.233 --> 00:25:42.166
♪

00:25:47.666 --> 00:25:49.601
(cell phone ringing)

00:25:49.667 --> 00:25:52.100
CC it to Ira.
(woman)
Okay.

00:25:52.167 --> 00:25:54.166
And also then
scan it to Cohen.

00:26:00.600 --> 00:26:02.833
(cell phone plays jingle)

00:26:02.900 --> 00:26:05.867
Oh, gosh.

00:26:05.934 --> 00:26:07.833
Look at this, look at this.
I mean, this is like...

00:26:07.899 --> 00:26:09.501
It's-- it's-- it's sad.

00:26:09.567 --> 00:26:11.734
This is what my opponents
have been doing.

00:26:11.801 --> 00:26:15.100
Why do you have
to make fun of us for?

00:26:15.166 --> 00:26:17.134
Has to be Hatzolah.

00:26:17.200 --> 00:26:18.533
He didn't wanna
take us in.

00:26:18.600 --> 00:26:21.333
I didn't fight you.
Don't take me in. Fine.

00:26:24.568 --> 00:26:27.233
I don't even know
if they know what
they want anymore.

00:26:27.300 --> 00:26:28.833
They just wanted me
to go away.

00:26:33.699 --> 00:26:35.534
(cell phone "plops")

00:26:35.600 --> 00:26:40.366
This... is what people
are passing around, like...

00:26:42.667 --> 00:26:43.967
this is the radios
we'll be using.

00:26:44.033 --> 00:26:45.601
They're making fun
of the girly stuff,

00:26:45.668 --> 00:26:49.633
like... they don't really get
how the system is working.

00:26:54.899 --> 00:26:57.733
(indistinct chatter)

00:27:03.234 --> 00:27:06.501
(Ruchie)
The surgical tape
is 69 cents?

00:27:06.568 --> 00:27:08.733
The trauma shear
is 99 cents.

00:27:10.800 --> 00:27:12.033
What do you have so far?

00:27:12.100 --> 00:27:13.434
$170.

00:27:13.500 --> 00:27:15.934
OB kit is $5.

00:27:16.001 --> 00:27:18.200
Okay, you go home,
Yitty, while we do this.

00:27:18.267 --> 00:27:19.301
Yes, well, I'll
give you an exact list.

00:27:19.367 --> 00:27:21.300
And we'll go through
everything again.

00:27:21.367 --> 00:27:22.667
Do you need this or--

00:27:22.734 --> 00:27:24.335
I just have one question.

00:27:24.401 --> 00:27:27.334
What if Hatzolah starts
to exert pressure

00:27:27.401 --> 00:27:29.533
when they hear that we're
getting our supplies

00:27:29.600 --> 00:27:30.901
from your company?

00:27:30.967 --> 00:27:33.501
I'll be honest with you,
we-- we-- we are--

00:27:33.567 --> 00:27:36.034
We have collaborated
with North Shore University...

00:27:36.101 --> 00:27:37.767
Mm-hmm.
...for our medical training.

00:27:37.834 --> 00:27:38.901
And we had
a very big problem,

00:27:38.967 --> 00:27:41.001
because somebody had
gone into the CEO,

00:27:41.068 --> 00:27:43.168
who was a Hatzolah member,
who said that,

00:27:43.235 --> 00:27:44.868
"If you're going
to train these women,

00:27:44.935 --> 00:27:47.067
we will not transport
to your hospital."

00:27:47.134 --> 00:27:49.667
It's becoming a volatile
situation.

00:27:51.335 --> 00:27:53.768
We don't have time to,
you know, play around now.

00:27:53.835 --> 00:27:58.900
Now, this is real.
You know that you'll be
able to take the pressure?

00:27:58.967 --> 00:27:59.933
(man)
You know, it's...

00:28:02.933 --> 00:28:04.733
You know what?

00:28:16.100 --> 00:28:17.666
All right.

00:28:20.634 --> 00:28:24.133
♪ (woman vocalizing)

00:28:32.267 --> 00:28:34.901
(Ruchie)
I got a phone call last week
from somebody.

00:28:34.968 --> 00:28:37.767
He said people in Hatzolah
have convinced

00:28:37.834 --> 00:28:40.467
more and more rabbis
that, you know,

00:28:40.533 --> 00:28:41.900
lives would be at risk.

00:28:41.967 --> 00:28:44.033
Women aren't capable
or strong enough

00:28:44.100 --> 00:28:45.934
or fast enough
or smart enough.

00:28:46.001 --> 00:28:49.367
"Tell people not to join,
tell people not to call."

00:28:49.434 --> 00:28:52.267
Painting the picture
to the Hassidic community

00:28:52.334 --> 00:28:55.934
that we are defying
the rabbis.

00:28:56.000 --> 00:28:58.767
♪

00:28:58.834 --> 00:29:01.901
So whenever you do anything new
in the religious community,

00:29:01.967 --> 00:29:03.833
they're suspect-- like,
"What is this for?

00:29:03.900 --> 00:29:05.567
What is it about?"

00:29:05.634 --> 00:29:11.967
So people rely on the rabbis,
let the rabbis vet it out.

00:29:12.033 --> 00:29:14.000
♪

00:29:14.067 --> 00:29:15.799
(sizzling)

00:29:24.067 --> 00:29:26.933
We need rabbanim on our side
to come out publicly

00:29:27.000 --> 00:29:28.267
and take a stand.

00:29:28.334 --> 00:29:30.466
And say, "I will support
this organization."

00:29:33.267 --> 00:29:35.467
But it's-- it's hard.

00:29:35.534 --> 00:29:40.334
Rabbanim have to rely on
Hatzolah in case of an emergency

00:29:40.400 --> 00:29:43.033
and nobody wants to be the one
to raise a red flag

00:29:43.100 --> 00:29:44.567
and step out against them.

00:29:44.633 --> 00:29:48.033
♪

00:29:48.100 --> 00:29:50.099
(siren)

00:29:59.300 --> 00:30:00.534
(woman)
What happened?

00:30:00.600 --> 00:30:02.366
(Ruchie)
So I went to the CEO.

00:30:02.433 --> 00:30:05.266
TheCEO.

00:30:05.333 --> 00:30:06.500
Yes!

00:30:06.567 --> 00:30:09.267
This was
the official meeting

00:30:09.333 --> 00:30:12.300
that was done
to discuss this.

00:30:12.367 --> 00:30:16.167
He had us all sign the paper
that we agree not to tape
this meeting.

00:30:16.233 --> 00:30:19.000
And then he sat
and he yelled

00:30:19.067 --> 00:30:20.600
and he insulted us.

00:30:20.667 --> 00:30:21.967
And I said to him,
"You know something?

00:30:22.033 --> 00:30:26.033
I get more respect in court
than I get here."

00:30:26.100 --> 00:30:30.234
It was an attempt to--
to-- to intimidate me,

00:30:30.300 --> 00:30:32.433
to cry at me,
to nip it in the bud,

00:30:32.500 --> 00:30:35.833
to let me know that I am
going against Daas Torah.

00:30:35.900 --> 00:30:38.667
And you have to go
to our rabbanim

00:30:38.734 --> 00:30:39.867
and see what they're
gonna think.

00:30:39.934 --> 00:30:42.533
And I think Yocheved
was hyperventilating.

00:30:42.600 --> 00:30:43.667
She was hyperventilating.

00:30:43.733 --> 00:30:45.434
Mrs. Spitzer looked like

00:30:45.500 --> 00:30:47.933
she was-- like she needed
Hatzolah.

00:30:48.000 --> 00:30:48.966
(laughter)

00:30:49.033 --> 00:30:50.733
She looked like
she was going to faint.

00:30:50.800 --> 00:30:53.134
Ruchie, Ruchie, Ruchie.
Yeah? Yeah?

00:30:53.200 --> 00:30:54.833
We're doing a wonderful thing,

00:30:54.900 --> 00:30:55.900
and they're doing
a wonderful--

00:30:55.967 --> 00:30:57.166
We're not knocking the men.

00:30:57.233 --> 00:30:59.234
And if somebody wants them,

00:30:59.300 --> 00:31:01.200
the option
is still there!

00:31:01.267 --> 00:31:03.334
(overlapping chatter)

00:31:03.401 --> 00:31:05.568
(woman)
We get there and
Hatzolah gets there...

00:31:05.634 --> 00:31:07.267
But, Rifke,
tell you something else.

00:31:07.334 --> 00:31:09.167
I was "warned."

00:31:09.234 --> 00:31:11.134
I was warned.
I was warned.

00:31:11.201 --> 00:31:12.401
It's like--
it's like the Mafia!

00:31:12.468 --> 00:31:13.600
Excuse me. Yeah!
I'm telling you!

00:31:13.667 --> 00:31:14.733
"Or else"!

00:31:15.867 --> 00:31:17.100
I'll find out.

00:31:19.067 --> 00:31:21.767
(traffic noise)

00:31:21.833 --> 00:31:25.335
(indistinct chatter)

00:31:25.401 --> 00:31:26.967
Well, we don't have
to save any seats.

00:31:27.034 --> 00:31:28.334
Okay, now how
do we get up here?

00:31:28.401 --> 00:31:32.300
You know? We have
to lift our skirts
and not be seen.

00:31:32.367 --> 00:31:34.200
(overlapping chatter)

00:31:34.267 --> 00:31:35.600
(Yocheved)
Let's go.

00:31:37.134 --> 00:31:39.600
(overlapping chatter)

00:31:49.867 --> 00:31:52.733
Estimated time, 10:30.

00:31:58.434 --> 00:32:00.533
♪ (woman vocalizing)

00:32:21.133 --> 00:32:22.566
Is she there already?

00:32:24.234 --> 00:32:26.000
(turn signal clicking)

00:32:26.067 --> 00:32:28.066
(Ruchie)
It says turn 280--
what's 280?

00:32:28.133 --> 00:32:29.233
What's 80 West?

00:32:29.300 --> 00:32:31.400
(woman)
Interstate West.

00:32:31.466 --> 00:32:34.400
♪

00:32:37.434 --> 00:32:39.601
(Ruchie)
I have convinced
a Torah authority

00:32:39.667 --> 00:32:42.933
a rabbi, to publicly announce
his support for Ezras Nashim.

00:32:44.734 --> 00:32:46.634
He's a well respected
Torah scholar,

00:32:46.701 --> 00:32:51.067
the perfect person to say,
"Yes, I support Ezras Nashim."

00:32:51.134 --> 00:32:53.234
Because if he does it,
others will follow.

00:32:53.300 --> 00:32:56.200
♪

00:33:01.333 --> 00:33:02.933
She says it's
the men's side.

00:33:03.000 --> 00:33:05.933
(reading Hebrew)
Means men's side
of the street.

00:33:06.000 --> 00:33:07.601
(Yocheved)
Of the street?
Yes.

00:33:07.667 --> 00:33:09.266
(woman)
We're on the wrong side
of this street.

00:33:09.333 --> 00:33:10.934
So where should we go?
I don't know.

00:33:11.000 --> 00:33:12.200
That-- that way.
But I guess we'd
better run away.

00:33:12.266 --> 00:33:14.533
We have to wear a tichel.
What?

00:33:14.600 --> 00:33:16.201
We have to wear
a tichel on top.

00:33:16.267 --> 00:33:17.433
(Yocheved)
I had to do
my sheitel for this,

00:33:17.500 --> 00:33:18.900
now we're supposed
to wear a tichel.

00:33:18.967 --> 00:33:20.234
When in Rome.

00:33:20.301 --> 00:33:22.567
But nobody told me
that we were going to Rome.

00:33:22.633 --> 00:33:24.566
(indistinct chatter)

00:33:25.900 --> 00:33:29.099
Yes. Okay,
where's Ruchie?

00:33:33.934 --> 00:33:36.300
We're waiting on--
for our turn to go in.

00:33:36.366 --> 00:33:38.299
(indistinct chatter)

00:33:39.700 --> 00:33:40.700
Okay, everybody,
let's go in.

00:33:40.766 --> 00:33:42.699
(all shushing)

00:33:50.299 --> 00:33:52.233
(indistinct chatter)

00:34:02.234 --> 00:34:04.167
(women whispering)

00:34:18.434 --> 00:34:20.167
(woman)
All these obstacles.

00:34:27.367 --> 00:34:30.300
♪

00:34:52.634 --> 00:34:55.200
I'm gonna tell you something,
all of you.

00:34:57.468 --> 00:35:01.634
There is absolutely no reason
for anybody to be disheartened.

00:35:01.700 --> 00:35:03.967
Nothing,
do you understand?

00:35:04.034 --> 00:35:06.634
The only thing,
the only thing you need

00:35:06.700 --> 00:35:09.867
to daven for is more emunah.
(coughing)

00:35:09.933 --> 00:35:12.334
That's it.
Emunah, that's it.

00:35:12.401 --> 00:35:15.500
You have faith that Hashem
came this far with us.

00:35:15.567 --> 00:35:17.900
He's with us.
We're going ahead.

00:35:18.934 --> 00:35:20.866
The end.

00:35:23.533 --> 00:35:27.000
♪

00:35:37.001 --> 00:35:39.433
Just everything is like
crashing down.

00:35:48.167 --> 00:35:49.600
Something is burning!

00:35:49.667 --> 00:35:51.266
Oh, man.

00:36:03.267 --> 00:36:04.699
Oh, gosh.

00:36:06.433 --> 00:36:08.966
So, that's life.

00:36:15.334 --> 00:36:18.700
Sometimes wonder why did
God create me a woman?

00:36:18.766 --> 00:36:19.867
If he would've made me a man,

00:36:19.934 --> 00:36:21.367
it would have been
so much easier.

00:36:21.434 --> 00:36:24.133
So much of the things that
I want to do is that much harder

00:36:24.199 --> 00:36:25.633
because I'm a woman.

00:36:25.700 --> 00:36:27.800
If I had been a Hasidic man,
I don't think I would have

00:36:27.867 --> 00:36:29.799
half the problems
that I have.

00:36:31.733 --> 00:36:35.333
♪

00:36:44.400 --> 00:36:46.333
(sizzling)

00:36:49.233 --> 00:36:51.300
I just got an e-mail, it says:
"My wife just showed me

00:36:51.367 --> 00:36:55.267
"your ad in the Torah Times
with a big smile.

00:36:55.333 --> 00:36:57.867
"Hope you are very successful
and make lots of money.

00:36:57.934 --> 00:36:59.700
You rock."
(laughing)

00:36:59.767 --> 00:37:01.867
No idea who sent this to me.

00:37:05.133 --> 00:37:06.400
Ah, it's cute.

00:37:08.534 --> 00:37:10.467
(typing)

00:37:13.034 --> 00:37:15.133
Okay, lets get finished
with the invitations.

00:37:19.368 --> 00:37:22.567
They thought that if
our rabbinical support

00:37:22.634 --> 00:37:25.700
would not be announced publicly,
we wouldn't go forward.

00:37:32.100 --> 00:37:33.833
But you know what?

00:37:33.900 --> 00:37:35.333
I'm not afraid.

00:37:38.234 --> 00:37:42.001
And it's God's endorsement
that's most important,

00:37:42.068 --> 00:37:43.667
and I believe we have
God's endorsement.

00:37:45.567 --> 00:37:47.467
So we move on!

00:37:56.901 --> 00:37:59.167
(man)
I'm starting
a new class this Sunday.

00:37:59.233 --> 00:38:00.833
How many students
do you have?

00:38:00.900 --> 00:38:03.400
I would say
we'd have about 20.

00:38:03.467 --> 00:38:05.233
Look, this is, you know...

00:38:09.566 --> 00:38:10.933
I-- I'll never forget...

00:38:25.201 --> 00:38:26.967
Let me get out of here,
I'll see you guys.

00:38:27.034 --> 00:38:28.467
Yes, thank you,
I'll be in touch

00:38:28.533 --> 00:38:30.800
with you about this,
thank you.

00:38:30.867 --> 00:38:33.867
(woman)
We're trying to save a life.

00:38:33.934 --> 00:38:35.200
And that's the emergency
we're here right now,

00:38:35.267 --> 00:38:36.334
so we need to get focused.

00:38:36.400 --> 00:38:37.534
♪

00:38:37.601 --> 00:38:38.700
One, and two, and three...

00:38:38.766 --> 00:38:40.534
(indistinct chatter)

00:38:40.600 --> 00:38:42.034
(instructor)
All right, if you dance,

00:38:42.101 --> 00:38:45.034
you're gonna switch from
the waltz to the cha-cha-cha.

00:38:45.100 --> 00:38:46.700
(laughter)
Never could I learn either.

00:38:46.767 --> 00:38:48.533
I couldn't master either.
Breathe and two and three,

00:38:48.600 --> 00:38:49.867
breathe and two and three,

00:38:49.933 --> 00:38:52.034
and breathe
and two and three.

00:38:52.100 --> 00:38:53.701
One, and two, and three,
and breathe.

00:38:53.767 --> 00:38:55.167
One, and two,
and three, and breathe.

00:38:55.234 --> 00:38:56.600
It's so different.
That's it.

00:38:56.666 --> 00:38:57.700
That's what it is.

00:38:57.767 --> 00:38:59.367
The waltz to the cha-cha-cha!

00:38:59.433 --> 00:39:00.700
One, and two, and three...
And breathe.

00:39:00.767 --> 00:39:02.467
(both)
One, and two, and three,
and breathe.

00:39:02.533 --> 00:39:05.033
One, and two,
and three,
and breathe.

00:39:05.099 --> 00:39:07.367
♪

00:39:07.433 --> 00:39:10.033
(Yocheved chuckling)

00:39:13.466 --> 00:39:14.733
We're gonna go get a jump bag.

00:39:14.800 --> 00:39:17.133
We're gonna
get our first one.

00:39:17.200 --> 00:39:19.200
And once we get
our first jump bag,

00:39:19.267 --> 00:39:21.500
then hopefully
we'll get a bunch more.

00:39:21.567 --> 00:39:23.167
This way?

00:39:23.234 --> 00:39:24.833
Wow, this is really good.

00:39:26.067 --> 00:39:27.366
Wow.

00:39:27.433 --> 00:39:30.733
Take a look.
"Handheld portable suction."

00:39:30.800 --> 00:39:33.134
"Anaroid snignomenometer."

00:39:33.200 --> 00:39:36.133
Brand new,
shiny oxygen tank!

00:39:37.366 --> 00:39:39.200
Pink, was this
chosen for us?

00:39:39.266 --> 00:39:40.367
Well, no,
we want something

00:39:40.434 --> 00:39:42.199
tougher looking than that,
you know?

00:39:42.266 --> 00:39:43.867
Pink EMT shears.

00:39:43.933 --> 00:39:45.533
No, we want purple!

00:39:45.600 --> 00:39:47.166
(laughing)

00:39:47.233 --> 00:39:48.966
(chuckling)
Having too much fun.

00:39:49.033 --> 00:39:50.299
Okay.

00:39:50.366 --> 00:39:51.966
It's been real.

00:39:53.400 --> 00:39:54.800
Lets see what
we've got here!

00:39:54.866 --> 00:39:56.633
The toys are here!

00:39:58.500 --> 00:40:01.767
Oh, my god.
It's so cool.

00:40:01.834 --> 00:40:03.599
It's really happening!
It's really happening.

00:40:03.666 --> 00:40:04.933
All right...

00:40:05.000 --> 00:40:06.433
It's more than "so cool,"
it's amazing.

00:40:06.500 --> 00:40:09.033
It's like, yeah.
So totally amazing.

00:40:09.099 --> 00:40:10.567
Oh, my God.

00:40:10.633 --> 00:40:12.733
Okay, so this is
the pediatric.

00:40:12.800 --> 00:40:14.634
Peds, okay.
Yeah.

00:40:14.701 --> 00:40:16.633
The pressure cuffs,
we have three sizes
I got in.

00:40:16.700 --> 00:40:18.300
Okay.
Because I know

00:40:18.367 --> 00:40:20.133
maybe you don't understand,
but there are large people

00:40:20.200 --> 00:40:21.466
in the world.
This is a regulator?

00:40:21.533 --> 00:40:23.466
Isn't that great?

00:40:23.533 --> 00:40:24.634
(Ruchie)
All right?

00:40:24.701 --> 00:40:26.533
Everything is--
it's-- you'll see.

00:40:26.600 --> 00:40:28.400
All right.

00:40:28.466 --> 00:40:31.066
♪

00:40:33.467 --> 00:40:36.067
You were here last week?
No...

00:40:36.133 --> 00:40:39.300
You were here last week,
you were here last week, so...

00:40:39.367 --> 00:40:42.034
Last week,
we spent time understanding

00:40:42.101 --> 00:40:43.367
what the dispatching
is all about--

00:40:43.433 --> 00:40:44.700
(Ruchie)
If you weren't here last week,

00:40:44.767 --> 00:40:46.033
then let me
just introduce...

00:40:46.100 --> 00:40:49.034
Rochel was, I mean,
the premiere dispatcher

00:40:49.100 --> 00:40:51.700
for Hatzolah for many,
many, many years.
Oh, wow.

00:40:51.767 --> 00:40:54.400
Once they-- once they
instituted a policy of no women,

00:40:54.467 --> 00:40:55.967
even as dispatchers,

00:40:56.034 --> 00:40:59.568
Rochel, you know, she agreed
to be our dispatch trainer.

00:40:59.634 --> 00:41:01.668
So we're very, very lucky
that Rochel is here.

00:41:01.734 --> 00:41:03.367
(Rochel)
From here onward!

00:41:04.467 --> 00:41:06.068
All right?

00:41:06.134 --> 00:41:08.734
Okay.
(imitates phone ringing)

00:41:08.801 --> 00:41:10.601
Ezras Nashim,
do you have an emergency?

00:41:10.668 --> 00:41:13.067
And then what is the most
important piece of information

00:41:13.134 --> 00:41:15.901
you're going to get once you
know there's an emergency?

00:41:15.968 --> 00:41:17.734
Do you recall, those of you
who were here last week?

00:41:17.801 --> 00:41:18.901
(woman)
The telephone number

00:41:18.968 --> 00:41:20.401
The telephone number of...

00:41:20.467 --> 00:41:21.867
The person calling.
The caller.

00:41:21.934 --> 00:41:23.534
(Rochel)
Yes?

00:41:23.601 --> 00:41:27.201
I'm only competent in English
and not in any other language.

00:41:27.268 --> 00:41:30.701
What about the Yiddish or
Hebrew-speaking patient who...

00:41:30.768 --> 00:41:35.434
Okay, right now
we are not specifying

00:41:35.501 --> 00:41:37.934
that anybody needs
more than English.

00:41:38.001 --> 00:41:40.201
We are in America.
(all chuckling)

00:41:40.267 --> 00:41:42.033
Yeah, but you
wouldn't know it.
Yeah.

00:41:42.100 --> 00:41:44.867
(razor buzzing)

00:41:44.933 --> 00:41:46.667
(Yitty speaking Yiddish)

00:41:56.634 --> 00:41:59.033
(speaking Yiddish)

00:41:59.967 --> 00:42:02.900
(speaking Yiddish)
No?

00:42:02.967 --> 00:42:05.067
He says nobody knows about
the women's ambulance.

00:42:05.134 --> 00:42:06.900
He said he didn't tell
his friends.

00:42:06.966 --> 00:42:08.233
(both speaking Yiddish)

00:42:12.434 --> 00:42:13.801
"They wouldn't believe him!"

00:42:13.868 --> 00:42:15.500
They wouldn't believe him that
there's a women's Hatzolah.

00:42:15.566 --> 00:42:17.433
(speaking Yiddish)

00:42:19.301 --> 00:42:20.567
They never saw
a women's Hatzolah,

00:42:20.634 --> 00:42:21.900
so they wouldn't believe it!

00:42:24.133 --> 00:42:26.000
You believe it?

00:42:26.067 --> 00:42:28.433
Yeah.
(giggling)

00:42:31.567 --> 00:42:34.501
(papers rustling)

00:42:34.567 --> 00:42:37.400
(Ruchie)
So, you're going
to stuff the envelopes.

00:42:37.467 --> 00:42:39.734
It's returnable to me.

00:42:39.801 --> 00:42:41.801
So now we're going
to do two boxes

00:42:41.868 --> 00:42:43.901
that are going
to go to Suri Katz.

00:42:43.968 --> 00:42:46.400
(overlapping chatter)
(Leah)
She's nuts.

00:42:46.467 --> 00:42:47.900
She's nuts!

00:42:47.967 --> 00:42:49.433
(speaking Yiddish)

00:42:49.500 --> 00:42:51.133
Nuts!

00:43:08.567 --> 00:43:10.100
I want to go to medical school,
but not, like, to be...
Psychology!

00:43:10.167 --> 00:43:11.434
a pediatrician...
Psychology.

00:43:11.501 --> 00:43:12.766
No, not psychology.
It's not gonna work.

00:43:14.100 --> 00:43:15.533
Yeah.

00:43:22.400 --> 00:43:23.933
And you're supposed
to like it.

00:43:35.300 --> 00:43:36.733
(camera beeping)

00:43:36.799 --> 00:43:39.733
♪

00:44:15.667 --> 00:44:16.833
(Ruchie sighing)

00:44:19.467 --> 00:44:22.400
♪ (woman vocalizing)

00:44:33.701 --> 00:44:35.633
(Ruchie)
This is all over
the social media.

00:44:37.867 --> 00:44:40.635
♪ (woman vocalizing)

00:44:40.701 --> 00:44:44.134
"Rachel Freier's
radical feminist agenda."

00:44:44.200 --> 00:44:46.133
♪

00:44:58.066 --> 00:44:59.333
We have to respond.

00:45:00.967 --> 00:45:03.067
That's it.

00:45:03.133 --> 00:45:06.966
♪

00:45:11.868 --> 00:45:14.067
(woman)
You are listening
to "The Weekly Forum"

00:45:14.134 --> 00:45:16.501
with Bracha Melzer
on Chazaq Radio.

00:45:16.567 --> 00:45:20.335
My guests today
are Ruchie Freier
and Yitty Mandel,

00:45:20.401 --> 00:45:24.167
the force and pioneers behind
the creation of Ezras Nashim,

00:45:24.234 --> 00:45:26.467
the Orthodox women's
EMT corps.

00:45:26.534 --> 00:45:29.468
One of the things that
I want to dispel:

00:45:29.534 --> 00:45:34.533
People shouldn't think that
Yitty and Ruchie are feminists.

00:45:34.600 --> 00:45:37.367
They are very, very,
very far from that.

00:45:37.434 --> 00:45:40.034
And that was one of the reasons
why I was very excited

00:45:40.101 --> 00:45:43.501
about interviewing them,
knowing that these

00:45:43.568 --> 00:45:46.500
are frum women
who are living frum lives

00:45:46.567 --> 00:45:48.833
who are educating
their children

00:45:48.900 --> 00:45:50.567
to live a Torah life.

00:45:50.634 --> 00:45:52.934
And-- and feminism
is a secular concept.

00:45:53.001 --> 00:45:55.967
If you have a life that's
filled with Torah values,

00:45:56.033 --> 00:45:57.900
you don't need feminism.

00:45:57.966 --> 00:46:00.267
From-- from
my perspective,

00:46:00.333 --> 00:46:02.267
feminism is the movement

00:46:02.334 --> 00:46:04.533
when a woman wants
to be equal to a man,

00:46:04.600 --> 00:46:06.400
or she wants a man's job.

00:46:06.467 --> 00:46:08.567
I'm very happy with
my role as a woman,

00:46:08.634 --> 00:46:12.067
and I also think it's important
that your listeners to know

00:46:12.134 --> 00:46:16.100
that we have nothing against
women who go to men doctors.

00:46:16.167 --> 00:46:20.234
We're here that if
a woman prefers a woman,

00:46:20.300 --> 00:46:22.267
she should have that option.
Exactly.

00:46:22.333 --> 00:46:24.400
And I just think
that assisting a woman

00:46:24.467 --> 00:46:26.234
in childbirth
really is our role.

00:46:26.301 --> 00:46:27.733
It always belonged
to the women.
(Bracha) Right

00:46:27.800 --> 00:46:29.234
It was taken away
over the years,

00:46:29.300 --> 00:46:30.766
we're just reclaiming
what is ours.

00:46:38.233 --> 00:46:40.633
(Yitty)
Let's go.
Talk to your patient.

00:46:40.700 --> 00:46:42.700
Push! Give me
a good, good push.

00:46:42.767 --> 00:46:45.033
Mom, you're doing great!
You're doing great!

00:46:45.100 --> 00:46:47.034
Okay, three things that will
tell you that this baby is

00:46:47.101 --> 00:46:49.033
ready to go on
from their mother?
If the respiration is good,

00:46:49.099 --> 00:46:50.366
the color is good,

00:46:50.433 --> 00:46:52.033
and the, the, the...

00:46:52.100 --> 00:46:54.833
The answer I'm looking for
is termed "vigorous and crying."

00:46:54.899 --> 00:46:56.267
(indistinct chatter)

00:46:56.334 --> 00:46:57.701
(Ruchie)
What we've decided,

00:46:57.767 --> 00:47:00.867
we needed to make some criteria
to join Ezras Nashim.

00:47:00.934 --> 00:47:03.867
So to be an EMT
going on calls,

00:47:03.933 --> 00:47:05.968
you have to be married.

00:47:06.035 --> 00:47:09.435
There's a whole host of issues
that come up in a marriage

00:47:09.501 --> 00:47:12.767
that will give you
that level of maturity.

00:47:12.834 --> 00:47:14.834
(Yitty) We try a posterior?
(woman) Oh, that's a good one.

00:47:14.901 --> 00:47:16.168
Let's try
a regular posterior.

00:47:16.234 --> 00:47:18.001
That's a good idea.
Okay.

00:47:18.067 --> 00:47:20.567
(Yitty)
Having single women
is controversial.

00:47:20.634 --> 00:47:22.567
Many of the people
in the community

00:47:22.634 --> 00:47:25.168
feel it's not proper.

00:47:25.235 --> 00:47:28.334
They said to Ruchie, "Maybe
I should rather call Hatzolah

00:47:28.401 --> 00:47:29.668
and leave things
the way they are."

00:47:29.735 --> 00:47:31.667
Maybe we don't
need this organization.

00:47:35.167 --> 00:47:37.234
They're not taking any people
who are single,

00:47:37.301 --> 00:47:38.800
and I think
that's a big mistake.

00:47:38.867 --> 00:47:41.868
So if person has
never been in labor

00:47:41.934 --> 00:47:43.267
and never delivered a baby,
that doesn't mean

00:47:43.334 --> 00:47:44.434
that she can't be a good EMT.

00:47:44.501 --> 00:47:45.768
Because I've never
been in labor...

00:47:45.834 --> 00:47:47.101
But that's the point that
they were making, though.

00:47:47.168 --> 00:47:49.001
Nah, no,
it wasn't about...
They were.

00:47:49.068 --> 00:47:51.834
(Hadassah)
I think it has more to do with
we don't need to give people

00:47:51.901 --> 00:47:54.168
ammunition to say,
"Oh, you have these single girls

00:47:54.235 --> 00:47:56.100
"who should be innocent
and they're being exposed

00:47:56.167 --> 00:47:57.500
to these situations."

00:47:57.567 --> 00:47:59.167
That's coming,
not even necessarily

00:47:59.234 --> 00:48:01.000
from the ladies,
that's coming straight--

00:48:03.733 --> 00:48:07.067
So...
Times have changed.

00:48:07.134 --> 00:48:09.333
You know, I was 22
when I had my third child.

00:48:09.400 --> 00:48:11.434
Does that make me
better equipped?

00:48:11.500 --> 00:48:14.434
No, I was an idiot!
(laughing)

00:48:14.501 --> 00:48:17.000
How old were you when
you had your first?

00:48:17.067 --> 00:48:18.334
Almost 19.

00:48:18.400 --> 00:48:20.001
Wow.
Wow, fast.

00:48:20.068 --> 00:48:22.433
So? I was still an idiot!
Well, yeah.

00:48:30.266 --> 00:48:35.200
(indistinct chatter)

00:48:35.267 --> 00:48:37.566
(Ruchie)
Would you like to dispatch?

00:48:37.633 --> 00:48:39.068
So that would be

00:48:39.134 --> 00:48:44.167
a great way for you to
start to get involved.

00:48:44.233 --> 00:48:45.501
So right now,
for dispatching

00:48:45.568 --> 00:48:48.500
we could use you,
and for driving the car.

00:48:51.067 --> 00:48:53.766
Okay, I hear.
Okay?

00:49:04.567 --> 00:49:07.667
(Yocheved)
You're single,
you're out of here.

00:49:07.734 --> 00:49:10.400
They're saying
it's community standards.

00:49:10.466 --> 00:49:12.066
That doesn't make sense.

00:49:14.600 --> 00:49:17.200
I've been married now
two and a half years,

00:49:17.267 --> 00:49:19.533
I ran all those years
an ambulance

00:49:19.600 --> 00:49:21.800
without having been married.

00:49:21.867 --> 00:49:24.967
I don't think think it
changed me for the worse.

00:49:25.033 --> 00:49:28.199
♪

00:49:36.334 --> 00:49:37.766
(Yitty)
This "no singles" issue

00:49:37.833 --> 00:49:40.100
hit a sore spot with
a lot of people.

00:49:40.167 --> 00:49:41.967
But Ruchie doesn't want
to mess with anybody.

00:49:42.034 --> 00:49:44.133
She still wants to be in good
standing with the rabbanim,

00:49:44.200 --> 00:49:45.633
and her kids' schools,

00:49:45.700 --> 00:49:46.967
her shul affiliation,

00:49:47.034 --> 00:49:48.300
whatever it is
that she has, right?

00:49:48.367 --> 00:49:50.333
She doesn't want to mess it.

00:49:50.400 --> 00:49:51.500
She'd be shunned
from the community,

00:49:51.566 --> 00:49:53.333
so she has to do it like this.

00:49:53.400 --> 00:49:55.666
She's, you know,
balancing a very...

00:49:59.866 --> 00:50:02.199
(sighing)
It-- it's hard.

00:50:04.100 --> 00:50:08.967
Now, what I was thinking,
we have 40 or 50 EMTs,

00:50:09.034 --> 00:50:11.300
but not everybody
can serve right now.

00:50:11.367 --> 00:50:13.733
I have to get
the final number, but...

00:50:13.800 --> 00:50:16.533
Now this-- this agency
has to get up and running,

00:50:16.600 --> 00:50:18.034
it has to get on its feet.

00:50:18.101 --> 00:50:21.200
(Ruchie)
We have to push members
to go for their rotations.

00:50:21.267 --> 00:50:23.633
(Yocheved)
The thing about
the rotations is,

00:50:23.700 --> 00:50:26.967
I don't know how you're going
to actually make people do this.

00:50:27.034 --> 00:50:28.967
I learned so much
on these rotations.

00:50:29.033 --> 00:50:30.633
(Yocheved)
Not everybody does, though.

00:50:30.700 --> 00:50:33.333
I mean, when I first
did my EMS rotation,

00:50:33.400 --> 00:50:35.500
nothing happened for 12 hours
in a big hospital.

00:50:35.567 --> 00:50:37.500
Yeah, but you see, not everybody
would say the same thing.

00:50:37.567 --> 00:50:39.366
(Ruchie)
No one else will.
No one else will.

00:50:39.433 --> 00:50:41.633
No one else comes
into this organization

00:50:41.700 --> 00:50:43.399
if they don't follow my rules.

00:50:43.466 --> 00:50:44.700
All right?

00:50:44.767 --> 00:50:46.299
No one gets away with it.

00:50:49.533 --> 00:50:50.966
(door creaking)

00:50:55.800 --> 00:50:57.001
Thank you.

00:50:57.068 --> 00:50:58.333
I guess...
(both laughing)

00:51:12.134 --> 00:51:14.067
(exhaling)

00:51:17.967 --> 00:51:19.233
(intercom buzzing)

00:51:19.300 --> 00:51:20.567
Who's there?

00:51:20.634 --> 00:51:22.600
Coming!

00:51:25.968 --> 00:51:27.501
So firstly,
what I want to say is

00:51:27.568 --> 00:51:29.667
as much as you
see things, Ruchie,

00:51:29.734 --> 00:51:32.535
and you're--
I know you think--

00:51:32.602 --> 00:51:34.700
think things through clearly,
I'm sure you bounce things

00:51:34.767 --> 00:51:36.202
off other people.

00:51:36.268 --> 00:51:38.967
You don't always necessarily
see things from the other side.

00:51:39.034 --> 00:51:40.301
I know you're telling me
there are a lot

00:51:40.368 --> 00:51:42.801
of happy members, Ruchie,
and there probably are.

00:51:42.867 --> 00:51:45.801
But there are enough members
who are not so happy,

00:51:45.868 --> 00:51:47.801
and then we have people
dropping out like flies.

00:51:47.867 --> 00:51:49.534
So I-- I agree with you,

00:51:49.600 --> 00:51:51.368
and I'd love to make
everybody happy.

00:51:51.435 --> 00:51:54.368
But I have to put together
a strong organization.

00:51:54.435 --> 00:51:56.700
Does it mean that
I want to be a dictator?

00:51:56.767 --> 00:51:58.533
No, no.

00:51:58.600 --> 00:52:00.366
Hey, Ruchie
can stay Ruchie,

00:52:00.433 --> 00:52:01.534
and she'd better stay Ruchie

00:52:01.601 --> 00:52:03.300
or we're not gonna have
an organization.

00:52:03.367 --> 00:52:05.201
But now we have to start
walking that fine line

00:52:05.267 --> 00:52:07.800
of making people feel good
about themselves.

00:52:09.234 --> 00:52:11.300
So what's the buy-in of
a typical Ezras Nashim member?

00:52:11.367 --> 00:52:12.900
Salary, there isn't.

00:52:12.967 --> 00:52:14.567
Even a status within
the community?

00:52:14.634 --> 00:52:16.901
In the beginning, for sure,
there's not going to be that.

00:52:16.968 --> 00:52:19.900
What is it? It's doing
the right thing in this time.

00:52:19.967 --> 00:52:21.767
You know, I feel good being
part of this organization,

00:52:21.834 --> 00:52:23.267
that's why I want
to be part of it.

00:52:23.334 --> 00:52:27.000
So how are we going to work
with these people to make sure

00:52:27.067 --> 00:52:29.633
that people feel very connected
to you as a leader?

00:52:29.700 --> 00:52:31.667
Okay...

00:52:31.734 --> 00:52:33.667
This is not running
a pre-school.

00:52:33.734 --> 00:52:35.167
This is not running a school.

00:52:35.234 --> 00:52:37.867
It's just not. It's not.
It really, really isn't.

00:52:37.934 --> 00:52:40.233
You know why?

00:52:40.300 --> 00:52:43.167
I risk my profession.

00:52:43.234 --> 00:52:45.333
My license to practice law now

00:52:45.400 --> 00:52:48.001
is tied in with
this organization.

00:52:48.067 --> 00:52:51.001
And it was my name that was
being lambasted because

00:52:51.068 --> 00:52:53.700
nobody else wanted to have
their name publicized,

00:52:53.767 --> 00:52:55.700
for very good reasons.

00:52:55.767 --> 00:52:58.200
You know what?
I have-- I have a dream

00:52:58.267 --> 00:53:01.201
to really be a judge,
that's what I'm working for.

00:53:01.267 --> 00:53:05.400
I put everything on hold
for this organization.

00:53:05.467 --> 00:53:08.967
It's just, everybody knows
that Ezras Nashim

00:53:09.034 --> 00:53:12.467
is now resting on
Ruchie Freier's shoulders.

00:53:12.534 --> 00:53:15.566
It'll be the biggest failure
of my life

00:53:15.633 --> 00:53:18.400
if we don't get off the ground.

00:53:18.467 --> 00:53:20.766
♪ (woman vocalizing)

00:53:56.767 --> 00:53:58.700
(water running)

00:54:00.434 --> 00:54:02.100
(Yocheved sighing)

00:54:05.234 --> 00:54:08.667
It's about as bad as I could've
imagined things to get

00:54:08.734 --> 00:54:11.167
as far as Ezras Nashim
is concerned.

00:54:13.668 --> 00:54:17.468
The worst part
is the lack of unity.

00:54:17.535 --> 00:54:20.835
Ezras Nashim
was my heart and soul.

00:54:20.901 --> 00:54:26.068
It was good and pure
in its intention.

00:54:26.134 --> 00:54:28.334
But there was an awful lot
of nastiness

00:54:28.400 --> 00:54:30.334
at the last meeting.

00:54:30.401 --> 00:54:33.467
The issue was brought up,
again,

00:54:33.533 --> 00:54:35.967
about the single people.

00:54:37.701 --> 00:54:39.834
So I spoke as well
as I could.

00:54:39.901 --> 00:54:43.167
I just believe that this was
not the right thing to do.

00:54:43.234 --> 00:54:45.534
You know, I don't know
what would have happened

00:54:45.600 --> 00:54:46.867
if I didn't get married.

00:54:46.934 --> 00:54:48.533
Uh, it scares me.

00:54:50.435 --> 00:54:54.601
Again, I'll reiterate:
This was my idea

00:54:54.667 --> 00:54:57.533
that I could not bring
to fruition on my own.

00:54:59.334 --> 00:55:03.267
It took a dynamo like Ruchie
to bring it to fruition.

00:55:03.334 --> 00:55:05.000
But now that she's
brought it to fruition

00:55:05.066 --> 00:55:06.834
she says it's hers.

00:55:06.900 --> 00:55:09.167
Where's the room for me?

00:55:09.233 --> 00:55:12.166
♪

00:55:14.901 --> 00:55:16.833
In tears,
I left the meeting.

00:55:18.901 --> 00:55:20.467
I thought about it
for a while.

00:55:20.533 --> 00:55:22.967
And then I texted in

00:55:23.034 --> 00:55:26.300
that I'm no longer a member,
I'm resigning.

00:55:27.866 --> 00:55:29.633
And that's how it went.

00:55:31.933 --> 00:55:33.866
That's how it ended.

00:55:35.534 --> 00:55:38.300
♪ (woman singing in Hebrew)

00:55:59.033 --> 00:56:01.066
(Ruchie)
Did I get hurt?

00:56:01.133 --> 00:56:02.567
Yes.

00:56:02.634 --> 00:56:04.900
That's the answer.
Yes, I got hurt.

00:56:04.967 --> 00:56:06.066
Will I get over it? Sure.

00:56:06.133 --> 00:56:07.567
Have I been hurt before?
Sure.

00:56:07.634 --> 00:56:09.067
Will I get hurt again?
Absolutely.

00:56:09.134 --> 00:56:11.566
That's part of life.
That's part of life.

00:56:11.633 --> 00:56:14.299
♪ (woman singing in Hebrew)

00:56:31.766 --> 00:56:33.367
(phone ringing)

00:56:33.433 --> 00:56:36.000
(woman)
Midwood Ambulance,
how can I help you?

00:56:36.067 --> 00:56:39.666
(Rochel)
I have been setting up
the dispatch system.

00:56:39.733 --> 00:56:42.500
Mm-hmm.
And I want to show you

00:56:42.567 --> 00:56:44.167
how the system works
and how it's going

00:56:44.234 --> 00:56:46.466
to be connected
to your dispatchers.
Okay.

00:56:46.533 --> 00:56:48.133
(device beeping)

00:56:48.200 --> 00:56:50.801
Subject: "Call 2:40."
Message: "Call 2:40.

00:56:50.867 --> 00:56:52.300
Test Midwood."
Is that what you wrote?

00:56:52.367 --> 00:56:53.633
(Rochel)
Yes, "Test Midwood," right?

00:56:53.700 --> 00:56:55.467
Message: "Call 2:40," yes.

00:56:55.533 --> 00:56:58.235
You heard how fast
that came through?

00:56:58.301 --> 00:56:59.734
(Yitty)
Yes, and how loud
it came through.

00:56:59.801 --> 00:57:02.035
Okay, the whole system,
everything is working.

00:57:02.101 --> 00:57:03.867
(man) We're live.
(Yitty) It's really happening.

00:57:03.934 --> 00:57:05.700
(man)
We have stress balls.
Are you stressed?

00:57:05.767 --> 00:57:08.800
(all chuckling)

00:57:08.867 --> 00:57:09.967
If you're stressed,
just grab one

00:57:10.034 --> 00:57:11.634
and just squeeze it.

00:57:11.701 --> 00:57:13.301
Look at that, see?
You feel stress

00:57:13.367 --> 00:57:14.967
going away already, right?
Yeah.

00:57:15.034 --> 00:57:18.301
(Ruchie praying in Hebrew)

00:57:18.367 --> 00:57:21.167
(group repeating prayer)

00:57:21.234 --> 00:57:22.833
(Ruchie praying in Hebrew)

00:57:24.233 --> 00:57:27.001
(group repeating prayer)

00:57:27.068 --> 00:57:28.734
(Ruchie)
Now I want to just
say one thing.

00:57:28.801 --> 00:57:30.667
I know a lot of you
had certain questions.

00:57:30.734 --> 00:57:34.368
Nobody-- nobody--
was told to go.

00:57:34.435 --> 00:57:38.035
Whoever isn't here,
it was their own decision.

00:57:38.101 --> 00:57:41.200
And you should know that there
was a lot of pain on my part.

00:57:47.601 --> 00:57:49.134
...and we should
all understand

00:57:49.201 --> 00:57:51.067
that we're here
for each other.

00:57:51.133 --> 00:57:52.233
♪

00:57:52.300 --> 00:57:53.500
Deep down...

00:57:56.068 --> 00:57:58.800
...they know we're doing what
they should have done.

00:57:58.866 --> 00:58:00.801
♪

00:58:00.868 --> 00:58:03.634
We open next week, Sunday,
at the health fair.

00:58:03.701 --> 00:58:06.468
We are giving out our number,
and we're giving out our flyers.

00:58:06.534 --> 00:58:09.633
That means by next week,
Sunday, we're up!

00:58:09.700 --> 00:58:11.867
(applause)

00:58:11.934 --> 00:58:14.200
Everyone gets
a package like this.

00:58:14.267 --> 00:58:16.867
One.
This is number two.
Oh.

00:58:16.934 --> 00:58:18.833
Everyone's packing up
their own trauma bags.

00:58:18.900 --> 00:58:21.034
It's a baby!
It's a baby!

00:58:21.100 --> 00:58:23.334
(indistinct chatter)

00:58:23.401 --> 00:58:27.466
I'm trying to imagine Ruchie
carrying all of this stuff.

00:58:27.533 --> 00:58:29.034
(Ruchie)
Now it's on.

00:58:29.101 --> 00:58:30.833
Now it's off?
Now it's--
(siren)

00:58:30.900 --> 00:58:32.500
Yitty?

00:58:32.566 --> 00:58:33.867
It looks good.

00:58:33.933 --> 00:58:36.500
♪

00:58:36.566 --> 00:58:38.001
(indistinct chatter)

00:58:38.068 --> 00:58:40.401
(Yitty)
Hi, girls,
take one magnet.

00:58:40.468 --> 00:58:42.700
Take a magnet,
remember our number.

00:58:45.500 --> 00:58:47.633
Now?

00:58:47.700 --> 00:58:49.466
Here's what you do.
(phone beeping)

00:58:49.533 --> 00:58:50.901
37B to Base?

00:58:50.967 --> 00:58:52.334
So I have to say that?
No.

00:58:52.401 --> 00:58:54.366
So that's what the dispatcher
is going to say.
Okay.

00:58:54.433 --> 00:58:56.467
10B responding.

00:58:56.533 --> 00:58:58.700
(dispatcher)
Okay, 10B responding.

00:58:58.767 --> 00:59:01.000
(Rochel)
Get the information out
within those 45 seconds

00:59:01.067 --> 00:59:03.366
and press that
"send text" button.

00:59:03.433 --> 00:59:04.533
Ding-a-ling-a-ling...

00:59:04.600 --> 00:59:05.833
Ezras Nashim,
where's the emergency?

00:59:05.899 --> 00:59:07.366
I'm having a baby.

00:59:07.433 --> 00:59:08.533
Okay, is this
your first baby?

00:59:08.599 --> 00:59:09.900
No, it's my fifth.

00:59:09.967 --> 00:59:12.900
Gosh, how many things does
this kid have to wear?

00:59:12.967 --> 00:59:14.066
(dispatch)
Yeah, okay.

00:59:14.133 --> 00:59:15.166
We are doing this.

00:59:15.233 --> 00:59:16.500
If my kids don't get to eat

00:59:16.567 --> 00:59:18.133
or we don't have clean clothes,
I don't care.

00:59:18.200 --> 00:59:19.333
We are doing this.

00:59:19.399 --> 00:59:22.333
♪

00:59:24.933 --> 00:59:26.900
The Fire Department
of the City of New York

00:59:26.967 --> 00:59:30.866
recognized Ezras Nashim
as a valid member of EMS.

00:59:30.933 --> 00:59:32.467
(applause)

00:59:32.533 --> 00:59:34.967
We're going to get
an official FDNY radio,

00:59:35.034 --> 00:59:38.133
and our code is going to be
what the chief made up:

00:59:38.199 --> 00:59:40.633
93Q, 93QUEEN.

00:59:40.700 --> 00:59:42.733
So we're gonna be 93QUEEN.

00:59:42.800 --> 00:59:44.534
(applause)

00:59:44.600 --> 00:59:46.034
In Brooklyn,
an all-female crew

00:59:46.101 --> 00:59:48.700
of Orthodox EMTs will hit
the streets tomorrow,

00:59:48.767 --> 00:59:50.833
providing a much-needed
service in the community.

00:59:50.900 --> 00:59:53.799
♪ (women vocalizing)

01:00:11.700 --> 01:00:12.967
(phone beeping)

01:00:13.033 --> 01:00:16.299
(Yitty)
D23, this is 22W.

01:00:16.366 --> 01:00:19.366
Ruchie.
Come in, Ruchie.

01:00:19.433 --> 01:00:20.700
(phone beeping)

01:00:20.767 --> 01:00:23.133
(Ruchie on radio)
This is 21B on call.

01:00:23.200 --> 01:00:24.467
Day number one.

01:00:24.534 --> 01:00:26.800
This is the first day
of the rest of our life...

01:00:26.867 --> 01:00:28.799
(clicking tongue)
Right?

01:00:31.867 --> 01:00:34.467
I've been walking around with
a knot in my stomach all day.

01:00:34.534 --> 01:00:36.133
It's just like,
how's the first day going to do?

01:00:36.200 --> 01:00:38.467
I got up this morning, and I
stood by the phone at 7:00

01:00:38.534 --> 01:00:40.467
looking at it like--
as if it's gonna explode.

01:00:40.534 --> 01:00:42.366
I was just like waiting to
see what's going to go on.

01:00:42.433 --> 01:00:44.033
(phone beeping)

01:00:50.066 --> 01:00:52.500
(phone ringing)
Sylvia.

01:00:52.567 --> 01:00:54.001
Yes, dear?

01:00:54.067 --> 01:00:55.600
(Sylvia on phone)
Yitty, I'm sorry
to bother you.

01:00:55.667 --> 01:00:56.767
It's fine!

01:00:58.001 --> 01:00:59.601
I picked it up,
I said "Ezras Nashim?"

01:00:59.668 --> 01:01:00.934
And I just hear...
I didn't see the phone.

01:01:01.001 --> 01:01:02.434
What happened?
Nothing.

01:01:02.501 --> 01:01:04.201
And then I hear a click,
they hung up.

01:01:04.268 --> 01:01:07.201
But he unblocked his number,
and I happen to know who he is.

01:01:07.268 --> 01:01:08.868
Mm-hmm.
I don't know him personally,

01:01:08.935 --> 01:01:10.200
but I know that there's
a guy by the name

01:01:10.267 --> 01:01:11.867
of Eli -- in Hatzolah.

01:01:11.934 --> 01:01:13.201
Okay, so there you go.

01:01:13.268 --> 01:01:14.868
Expect to get several more
of these.

01:01:14.935 --> 01:01:18.867
But Sylvia, don't get--
don't get riled up.

01:01:18.933 --> 01:01:20.868
This is crazy.

01:01:20.935 --> 01:01:23.868
The prank calls are coming in,
mostly from men.
(phone beeping)

01:01:23.934 --> 01:01:27.167
We can have the best system
and the best training,

01:01:27.234 --> 01:01:30.167
but if we're not getting calls,
it's not gonna work.

01:01:33.733 --> 01:01:35.000
(phone beeps)

01:01:41.035 --> 01:01:44.268
(Rochel on radio)
Attention all units
and dispatchers,

01:01:44.335 --> 01:01:48.768
be advised there is
a formal training going on now.

01:01:48.834 --> 01:01:51.368
All units,
if a call comes in,

01:01:51.435 --> 01:01:54.533
just be advised it is only
a trainingsession.

01:01:56.201 --> 01:01:58.468
If the world would
have been perfect,

01:01:58.534 --> 01:02:01.133
we could have had, like,
all these practice drills be--

01:02:01.200 --> 01:02:02.966
(phone beeping)

01:02:04.400 --> 01:02:06.167
This must be a practice.

01:02:06.234 --> 01:02:09.067
(dispatcher)
29B, 10-4.

01:02:09.133 --> 01:02:11.233
I think our women are so good.

01:02:11.300 --> 01:02:13.901
I really think they are.
This is incred--

01:02:13.967 --> 01:02:15.234
(dispatch)
Proceed.

01:02:15.300 --> 01:02:16.733
(phone beeps)

01:02:18.800 --> 01:02:20.566
This is not a test.

01:02:20.633 --> 01:02:22.467
This is not a test.

01:02:22.533 --> 01:02:25.800
♪

01:02:29.701 --> 01:02:32.634
(dispatcher)
Responding units,
this is...

01:02:32.701 --> 01:02:35.633
The caller, I was not able
to get through.

01:02:38.533 --> 01:02:40.633
(siren beeping)

01:02:45.200 --> 01:02:46.967
(whispering)
Oh, that was 53rd Street.

01:02:47.033 --> 01:02:48.300
Sheisa.

01:02:48.366 --> 01:02:50.167
(siren blarng)

01:02:50.233 --> 01:02:53.500
♪

01:03:01.533 --> 01:03:03.633
21B, I am at the scene.

01:03:03.700 --> 01:03:05.800
There seems to be
another car here.

01:03:05.866 --> 01:03:07.966
(distant sirens wailing)

01:04:15.301 --> 01:04:17.767
(applause)

01:04:21.000 --> 01:04:22.634
She's smart woman!

01:04:22.700 --> 01:04:24.801
All right...

01:04:24.867 --> 01:04:27.468
Whoever says there's
no need for us has no idea

01:04:27.534 --> 01:04:28.968
what it's like when
we actually help somebody.

01:04:29.034 --> 01:04:30.134
Until they get the first call.

01:04:30.200 --> 01:04:31.301
Until you get
that first call,

01:04:31.368 --> 01:04:33.735
and you help the-- the--
the woman herself,

01:04:33.801 --> 01:04:37.234
the husband,
it is just an incredible,

01:04:37.301 --> 01:04:38.568
incredible experience.

01:04:38.635 --> 01:04:40.534
AtEzras Nashim,
you will all get that feeling.

01:04:40.601 --> 01:04:42.001
(Yitty)
Yes!

01:04:42.067 --> 01:04:45.000
(indistinct chatter)

01:04:48.633 --> 01:04:51.733
♪

01:05:03.466 --> 01:05:06.201
Okay, crisis averted

01:05:06.268 --> 01:05:08.666
(dispatcher)
Ezras Nashim, do you
have an emergency?

01:05:08.733 --> 01:05:10.000
Hello?

01:05:11.900 --> 01:05:13.333
Prank call.

01:05:14.700 --> 01:05:16.467
(dispatcher)
15 58th Street.

01:05:16.534 --> 01:05:18.066
I got it, I got it.

01:05:18.133 --> 01:05:19.167
Yes!

01:05:19.233 --> 01:05:21.666
(phone beeping)
(gasping)

01:05:23.801 --> 01:05:26.267
(dispatcher)
EMT 21B on standby.

01:05:26.334 --> 01:05:27.934
Did you see
just what happened?
No.

01:05:28.000 --> 01:05:29.933
This guy saved
his baby's life.

01:05:30.000 --> 01:05:31.434
The stroller started flying.

01:05:31.501 --> 01:05:33.334
We almost had a call!
Yeah.

01:05:33.401 --> 01:05:34.833
(dispatcher)
Ambulance, how can I help you?

01:05:34.900 --> 01:05:36.567
This is 45B, Yitty.

01:05:36.633 --> 01:05:39.900
♪

01:05:41.800 --> 01:05:44.667
(siren blaring)

01:05:44.733 --> 01:05:47.666
(indistinct chatter)

01:05:52.634 --> 01:05:55.334
Ruchie, come here.
I want an opinion on this.

01:05:55.401 --> 01:05:57.000
Should we put all on that,
or maybe just one side?

01:05:57.066 --> 01:05:58.199
Isn't that too big?

01:06:00.099 --> 01:06:01.167
(indistinct chatter)

01:06:01.234 --> 01:06:03.900
Okay, now let's
put on the dress.

01:06:03.966 --> 01:06:05.799
♪

01:06:10.768 --> 01:06:14.167
(Hadassah)
I was very nervous
that I wasn't going to...

01:06:14.233 --> 01:06:16.167
find someone so quickly.

01:06:16.234 --> 01:06:18.801
But I'm very lucky
I found someone.

01:06:18.867 --> 01:06:21.533
We're very compatible,
we're very on the same page.

01:06:21.600 --> 01:06:24.199
He's really a good person.

01:06:26.400 --> 01:06:29.067
He's from a very similar
background to me.

01:06:29.133 --> 01:06:31.067
We're both ridiculously nerdy,

01:06:31.134 --> 01:06:34.067
and liked all the same goofy
books and movies growing up.

01:06:34.134 --> 01:06:36.234
And so we get each others'
pop culture references.

01:06:36.300 --> 01:06:38.400
And it's fabulous to have
someone who gets

01:06:38.467 --> 01:06:41.099
my "Star Wars" and...

01:06:43.500 --> 01:06:45.267
and "Lord of the Rings"
references.

01:06:45.333 --> 01:06:47.000
I'm like, "Yes!"
(laughing)

01:06:47.066 --> 01:06:49.999
♪

01:06:59.501 --> 01:07:01.867
(glass breaks)
(all)
Mazel tov!

01:07:01.933 --> 01:07:05.867
♪

01:07:11.900 --> 01:07:13.734
(loud popping)

01:07:13.800 --> 01:07:16.034
♪

01:07:16.100 --> 01:07:19.367
(indistinct chatter)

01:07:41.233 --> 01:07:44.167
♪

01:07:51.100 --> 01:07:53.033
(children playing)

01:07:59.033 --> 01:08:00.633
(phone dialing)

01:08:02.134 --> 01:08:05.067
(indistinct radio chatter)

01:08:05.134 --> 01:08:06.901
Hi, everybody,
how are you?

01:08:06.968 --> 01:08:08.400
I think were having
roll call now.

01:08:08.467 --> 01:08:10.400
(phone beeping)

01:08:10.467 --> 01:08:12.568
(dispatcher)
Yes, I'm here...

01:08:12.634 --> 01:08:15.434
Okay, so the first
and most exciting thing

01:08:15.501 --> 01:08:17.467
I wanted to talk about
was my announcement

01:08:17.534 --> 01:08:20.634
yesterday to run
for civil court judge.

01:08:20.701 --> 01:08:22.601
I don't know how many
of you knew that

01:08:22.668 --> 01:08:25.366
this was really my plan
for the past ten years.

01:08:30.168 --> 01:08:33.100
I wanted-- thank you.
(indistinct radio chatter)

01:08:33.167 --> 01:08:35.634
And I wanted you
to hear it from me.

01:08:35.701 --> 01:08:38.867
You see, the higher the position
I'm able to achieve,

01:08:38.934 --> 01:08:42.668
the more credibility
we get to our organization.

01:08:42.734 --> 01:08:46.967
And we still are fighting
for our survival.

01:08:47.034 --> 01:08:48.800
But we're firm
and we're strong,

01:08:48.866 --> 01:08:51.033
and we don't back down.

01:08:51.100 --> 01:08:52.533
(dispatcher)
Baruch Hashem!

01:08:52.600 --> 01:08:54.001
Very good.
Take care, everybody,

01:08:54.067 --> 01:08:56.700
have a good night,
bye-bye.
(indistinct radio chatter)

01:08:56.766 --> 01:08:58.367
(phone beeps)

01:08:58.433 --> 01:09:00.701
So there's a lot of men
that are religious

01:09:00.767 --> 01:09:03.366
on the bench already,
we don't have a woman.

01:09:06.733 --> 01:09:08.567
'Cause that we don't
really have yet.

01:09:08.633 --> 01:09:10.900
(indistinct chatter)

01:09:10.967 --> 01:09:13.334
We're the women's EMT group,

01:09:13.401 --> 01:09:15.799
we respond to
all emergency calls.

01:09:18.199 --> 01:09:20.333
Yeah.
(laughing)

01:09:20.399 --> 01:09:22.334
I happen to be a lawyer,

01:09:22.401 --> 01:09:24.666
and now I'm running
for civil court judge.

01:09:24.733 --> 01:09:26.334
Civil court?
Right.

01:09:26.401 --> 01:09:29.133
All the information is there,
when the Election Day is.

01:09:31.600 --> 01:09:32.700
You should never need it,

01:09:32.767 --> 01:09:33.999
but its always good
to have somebody...

01:09:35.700 --> 01:09:37.300
Thank you!
(laughing)

01:09:37.367 --> 01:09:39.467
Ruchie Freier
for civil court judge!

01:09:39.533 --> 01:09:41.733
Ruchie Freier for
civil court judge!

01:09:41.800 --> 01:09:42.934
Hello,
I'm Ruchie Freier.

01:09:43.000 --> 01:09:45.399
Ruchie Freier
for civil court judge!

01:09:45.466 --> 01:09:46.899
(air tank hissing)

01:09:58.133 --> 01:09:59.933
Here's my flyer,
it's for ladies only

01:10:00.000 --> 01:10:01.099
'cause it has
my picture on it.

01:10:03.067 --> 01:10:04.666
This is for boys and men.

01:10:04.733 --> 01:10:06.800
This is for you.

01:10:06.867 --> 01:10:10.067
♪ (woman vocalizing)

01:10:10.134 --> 01:10:11.700
Can you help me?
I'm Ruchie Freier.

01:10:11.767 --> 01:10:13.367
Why not?

01:10:13.433 --> 01:10:15.166
(man) Oh, I have no problem.
(Ruchie) Okay.

01:10:32.934 --> 01:10:34.767
(Ruchie)
Hatzolah has made my campaign

01:10:34.834 --> 01:10:37.099
a much, much harder
campaign.

01:10:39.400 --> 01:10:40.667
They will try to do
whatever they can

01:10:40.734 --> 01:10:42.834
to get me to back off
from running.

01:10:42.901 --> 01:10:44.900
They found a candidate
to run against me

01:10:44.967 --> 01:10:48.234
to make sure
I wasn't going to win.

01:10:48.301 --> 01:10:51.033
They're gonna make sure
that they're gonna stop me

01:10:51.100 --> 01:10:52.533
to the best
of their ability.

01:10:54.866 --> 01:10:57.802
♪

01:10:57.868 --> 01:10:59.801
(man's outgoing message)
Hello, and thank you
for calling Ezras Nashim.

01:10:59.868 --> 01:11:02.468
Our primary response vehicle
has been booted.

01:11:02.534 --> 01:11:04.768
Please hang up and dial 718...

01:11:04.834 --> 01:11:06.767
(Ruchie)
This message went around
to the whole world

01:11:06.833 --> 01:11:09.467
on every WhatsApp group:

01:11:09.534 --> 01:11:10.801
"You have reached
Ezras Nashim,

01:11:10.867 --> 01:11:12.800
"our vehicle is locked.

01:11:12.867 --> 01:11:14.634
Please call Hatzolah."

01:11:14.700 --> 01:11:16.967
♪

01:11:21.035 --> 01:11:24.134
Of course, we had
a major operational fiasco.

01:11:24.201 --> 01:11:26.801
They put a boot on the car,
don't ask me how it happened.

01:11:26.868 --> 01:11:29.134
I do not know
of any unpaid ticket.

01:11:29.201 --> 01:11:31.301
But it went all over,
it went viral.

01:11:31.367 --> 01:11:35.300
(indistinct chatter)

01:11:35.367 --> 01:11:37.300
I have no idea.
Where was it booted?

01:11:37.367 --> 01:11:39.201
It was parked
on my block.

01:11:39.267 --> 01:11:41.034
(indistinct chatter)

01:11:41.101 --> 01:11:42.700
All right, so now,
everybody--

01:11:42.767 --> 01:11:44.534
everybody-- EMTs--

01:11:44.600 --> 01:11:47.367
EMT--
(chattering continues)

01:11:47.434 --> 01:11:50.901
So, I want to say that over
the past couple of months

01:11:50.967 --> 01:11:52.201
since our last meeting,

01:11:52.268 --> 01:11:54.901
we had calls that
have run the gamut.

01:11:54.968 --> 01:11:56.467
Everything from
domestic violence

01:11:56.534 --> 01:11:59.967
to motor vehicle accidents,
we did delivery a baby already.

01:12:00.034 --> 01:12:02.800
We even had--
we even had a miscarriage.

01:12:02.867 --> 01:12:04.634
We had cardiac calls,

01:12:04.700 --> 01:12:07.301
we had pediatrics,
we had geriatrics,

01:12:07.367 --> 01:12:10.801
we had OBGYN, we've ha--
we had a dental call.

01:12:10.868 --> 01:12:12.967
A woman who was pregnant
had a dental emergency.

01:12:13.034 --> 01:12:14.567
So we've really had everything,

01:12:14.634 --> 01:12:16.667
and we had
two male callers.

01:12:16.733 --> 01:12:18.167
(indistinct chatter)

01:12:18.234 --> 01:12:20.833
So we've h--
we have to be prepared

01:12:20.900 --> 01:12:22.033
for anything and everything.

01:12:33.133 --> 01:12:36.100
(indistinct chatter)

01:12:39.701 --> 01:12:41.634
All my friends are here.
Sarah Huznee,

01:12:41.700 --> 01:12:42.966
one of our EMTs,
this is Marcy.

01:12:43.033 --> 01:12:45.333
Hi, nice to meet you.

01:12:48.867 --> 01:12:50.633
(man speaking Yiddish)

01:13:01.400 --> 01:13:02.999
(angry gibberish)

01:13:06.566 --> 01:13:09.499
♪

01:13:29.766 --> 01:13:31.066
Hi, how are you?

01:13:31.133 --> 01:13:32.400
I'm the candidate.

01:13:32.467 --> 01:13:33.800
One of the candidates.

01:13:33.867 --> 01:13:37.133
And this is your signature,
am I correct?

01:13:37.199 --> 01:13:38.900
That's it.
That's it.

01:13:38.966 --> 01:13:40.899
I'm on pins and needles!

01:13:47.599 --> 01:13:51.366
♪

01:13:51.433 --> 01:13:53.667
My ballot was counted!

01:13:53.733 --> 01:13:55.300
♪

01:13:59.868 --> 01:14:02.601
We were asked
to vote for Avigdor.

01:14:02.668 --> 01:14:04.667
This is what we were asked for,
and this is what we do!

01:14:12.568 --> 01:14:14.167
Hello,
I'm Ruchie Freier!

01:14:14.234 --> 01:14:16.668
Are you going to vote?
(woman)
Yeah, that's what

01:14:16.734 --> 01:14:18.700
we're coming
to do right now!
Excellent!

01:14:21.434 --> 01:14:23.534
Freier for civil court judge!

01:14:23.601 --> 01:14:25.033
Freier for civil court judge!

01:14:27.534 --> 01:14:28.967
(man speaking Yiddish)

01:14:42.400 --> 01:14:44.700
♪

01:15:06.600 --> 01:15:08.033
(both speaking Yiddish)

01:15:17.067 --> 01:15:19.333
(Yoely)
41 to 35.
Oh, that's good.

01:15:19.400 --> 01:15:20.833
41 to 35.

01:15:44.300 --> 01:15:47.800
(indistinct chatter)

01:15:53.334 --> 01:15:56.000
Hold on a second,
now the number is different.

01:15:56.067 --> 01:16:00.399
How do you know?
90 to-- they--
they put it online.

01:16:00.466 --> 01:16:02.399
(speaking Yiddish)

01:16:06.434 --> 01:16:09.300
Let me be the first one
to congratulate you.

01:16:09.367 --> 01:16:10.966
(cheering)

01:16:11.033 --> 01:16:12.967
She made history!

01:16:13.033 --> 01:16:15.533
41.1!
Ruchie made history!

01:16:15.599 --> 01:16:17.567
Ruchie made history!

01:16:17.633 --> 01:16:19.733
Congratulations,
Your Honor.
Thank you!

01:16:19.800 --> 01:16:23.033
Your Honor!
Your Honor!

01:16:23.100 --> 01:16:25.033
(singing happily)

01:16:27.433 --> 01:16:30.533
Aim higher!
Aim higher!

01:16:30.600 --> 01:16:32.699
Vote for Freier!

01:16:34.799 --> 01:16:35.900
It happened!

01:16:35.967 --> 01:16:37.734
(overlapping chatter)

01:16:37.800 --> 01:16:39.234
I was feeling
very nervous.

01:16:39.300 --> 01:16:41.667
I know, you were more nervous
than me, I know.

01:16:41.733 --> 01:16:44.233
We did it.
We did it.

01:16:44.299 --> 01:16:46.733
♪

01:17:02.967 --> 01:17:05.234
Right there.
A teeny step this way.

01:17:05.301 --> 01:17:06.567
And step toward me.

01:17:06.633 --> 01:17:07.900
And hands in front.

01:17:07.967 --> 01:17:09.233
Perfect.

01:17:20.801 --> 01:17:23.833
(man)
They said Borough Park
is never going to vote

01:17:23.900 --> 01:17:25.567
for a woman for judge.

01:17:25.633 --> 01:17:28.367
So, they got that wrong.

01:17:28.434 --> 01:17:30.367
(applause)

01:17:33.434 --> 01:17:36.200
Behind, uh-- used to be
the other way, right?

01:17:36.267 --> 01:17:39.201
Behind every man,
there's a woman?

01:17:39.268 --> 01:17:42.534
But behind every woman,
there's a great man.

01:17:42.601 --> 01:17:45.534
(applause)

01:17:45.601 --> 01:17:49.234
It's a privilege for me
to be here tonight,

01:17:49.301 --> 01:17:52.700
together with my parents,
my wife and children,

01:17:52.767 --> 01:17:55.466
for my wife Ruchie...

01:17:57.367 --> 01:18:00.733
for her longtime dream
to come true.

01:18:00.800 --> 01:18:03.734
(applause)

01:18:03.800 --> 01:18:05.234
I wanted to make it here today

01:18:05.301 --> 01:18:07.068
because I know a little bit
about history.

01:18:07.135 --> 01:18:09.400
And I wanted to be in a room
where we are making history

01:18:09.467 --> 01:18:11.233
here in the borough
of Brooklyn.

01:18:11.300 --> 01:18:12.900
(applause)

01:18:14.134 --> 01:18:15.734
I would not have missed it,

01:18:15.801 --> 01:18:18.067
she is certainly breaking
through glass ceilings.

01:18:18.134 --> 01:18:19.900
And that's why I wanted
to be here.

01:18:19.967 --> 01:18:21.233
Right, women?
Make some noise!

01:18:21.300 --> 01:18:22.566
Come on.

01:18:22.633 --> 01:18:24.567
(loud cheering)

01:18:24.633 --> 01:18:28.633
♪

01:18:39.967 --> 01:18:43.400
I have reached a watershed
in my life.

01:18:43.466 --> 01:18:45.567
Yes, it is a dream,

01:18:45.634 --> 01:18:48.067
and my dream is now
a reality.

01:18:48.134 --> 01:18:51.067
(applause)

01:18:51.134 --> 01:18:54.233
I want to take
this opportunity to salute

01:18:54.300 --> 01:18:57.567
my fellow religious female EMTs

01:18:57.633 --> 01:19:00.400
for your unwavering
support through--

01:19:00.467 --> 01:19:03.700
(applause)

01:19:03.767 --> 01:19:07.033
My fellow EMTs,
we did two campaigns together.

01:19:07.099 --> 01:19:09.000
We created Ezras Nashim,

01:19:09.067 --> 01:19:12.833
the all-female volunteer
EMT agency, the first ever,

01:19:12.899 --> 01:19:16.167
Ezras Nashim.

01:19:16.234 --> 01:19:18.434
And you helped me win
this campaign.

01:19:18.500 --> 01:19:21.267
You covered me for the shifts
that I couldn't take

01:19:21.333 --> 01:19:24.033
and you helped me prove
that Hasidic women

01:19:24.099 --> 01:19:25.633
can do great things.

01:19:25.700 --> 01:19:27.966
(applause)

01:19:31.299 --> 01:19:33.734
♪

01:19:33.801 --> 01:19:36.534
I'm excited to be here
with my daughter

01:19:36.601 --> 01:19:38.534
because I look at her
and I think,

01:19:38.601 --> 01:19:40.900
she's going to have wonderful
role models to look up to.

01:19:40.967 --> 01:19:42.733
She's going to know
that she can be anything

01:19:42.800 --> 01:19:43.900
that she sets her mind to.

01:19:43.967 --> 01:19:46.067
She can be a judge,
she can be a doctor,

01:19:46.133 --> 01:19:48.366
she can be a lawyer,
she can be whatever she wants

01:19:48.433 --> 01:19:50.367
and she doesn't have
to sacrifice

01:19:50.434 --> 01:19:53.667
her religious beliefs
or her practices

01:19:53.734 --> 01:19:56.933
in order to do the things
that she dreams of.

01:20:03.100 --> 01:20:05.033
(chattering)

01:20:09.400 --> 01:20:11.733
(Ruchie)
So, people have been
calling me a feminist

01:20:11.800 --> 01:20:12.733
for many, many years,

01:20:12.800 --> 01:20:15.367
and when I started Ezras Nashim,

01:20:15.433 --> 01:20:18.233
it was just like...

01:20:18.300 --> 01:20:19.966
blared all over the place.

01:20:20.033 --> 01:20:22.133
So feminism
in the Hasidic community

01:20:22.200 --> 01:20:24.300
has a very negative connotation.

01:20:24.367 --> 01:20:26.033
They will view it as a woman

01:20:26.100 --> 01:20:30.500
who wants to overstep
the religious boundaries

01:20:30.567 --> 01:20:33.700
that are set up between
men and women,

01:20:33.767 --> 01:20:37.667
and I follow all those
halachic religious boundaries.

01:20:37.733 --> 01:20:42.167
Thanks for coming
so early!

01:20:42.234 --> 01:20:45.467
But obviously I couldn't
achieve this position

01:20:45.534 --> 01:20:48.367
if the women who have been

01:20:48.434 --> 01:20:50.933
trailblazing for
women's equality

01:20:50.999 --> 01:20:53.067
hadn't made it possible.

01:20:53.134 --> 01:20:56.101
So my connection with
secular feminism

01:20:56.167 --> 01:20:58.534
I think is very obvious.

01:20:58.601 --> 01:20:59.533
But,

01:20:59.600 --> 01:21:00.733
you can't just,

01:21:00.800 --> 01:21:02.101
in one sentence,

01:21:02.168 --> 01:21:05.068
narrow me down to
a few specific words,

01:21:05.134 --> 01:21:06.967
it just doesn't work with me.

01:21:11.767 --> 01:21:14.667
♪

01:21:20.900 --> 01:21:25.334
♪

01:21:25.400 --> 01:21:27.333
(conversing in Yiddish)

01:21:28.733 --> 01:21:31.667
♪

01:21:35.501 --> 01:21:37.433
♪ (woman singing in Hebrew)

01:21:51.867 --> 01:21:54.800
♪

01:22:06.967 --> 01:22:08.900
(singing continues till end)

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