I came home from shul and found my wife unconscious. I called Hatzalah and they arrived within 90 seconds. The level of care and compassion they provided was remarkable. We quickly went to the hospital where she was diagnosed with a Grade 5 brain bleed and rushed to surgery. The mortality rate is 90%. My wife wouldn’t be here today, having made a complete recovery, were it not for the rapid response and well-equipped Hatzalah team. - David
About Hatzalah
For more than 50 years, Hatzalah has been synonymous with the highest quality emergency care, delivered by dedicated EMTs and Paramedics throughout the world. Hatzalah of West Orange and Livingston is the first full-service 24/7/365 Hatzalah division in Essex County, New Jersey. It is a privilege to bring this quality and commitment to our community with the launch of Hatzalah.
Our dedicated volunteer EMTs are embedded in the community and provide free emergency medical response and the highest quality care to anyone who calls, 24 hours a day every single day of the year.
Our responders are trained and certified to the highest standards, and each member is equipped with the latest emergency equipment, including lifesaving medications and automated external defibrillators (AED).
We operate a proven 2-tier response system that allows us to rapidly respond to emergencies in our service area by utilizing both ambulances and first response vehicles located throughout the community. This ensures that care begins before an ambulance arrives.
Hatzalah Leadership
Ilan Rosenrauch, Coordinator
Ilan is a Paramedic with over 20 years of experience in Volunteer EMS. He began his EMS career in his teens volunteering as an EMT at RVAC in Rockland County, and joined Hatzalah in 2001. In addition to his volunteer work, Ilan worked as a NYC 911 paramedic with New York Presbyterian Hospital. Ilan is an active Hatzalah Paramedic, logging hundreds of calls annually, and was a neighborhood Coordinator in Washington Heights for 10 years.
Shael Sokolowski, Coordinator
Shael joined Hatzalah in 2006 and spent the next 10 years volunteering in Manhattan and the Bronx. During that time he held a range of additional roles including quartermaster, radio engineer, and head of the preceptor program. When he moved to West Orange, which was not a Hatzalah neighborhood at the time, he joined a 911 service - the Verona Rescue Squad; a former Lieutenant, he was also responsible for membership and the youth program.
Matthew Lipman, Coordinator
Matt has been a Hatzalah member for 20 years, serving the neighborhood of Manhattan prior to moving with his family to Riverdale. While in Riverdale, Matt was an active responder while serving as neighborhood Coordinator for 8 years. Matt currently lives in West Orange and works in East Hanover. Matt is a AHA Certified CPR instructor, and runs our Community CPR and First Aid program in West Orange and Livingston. Matt is also a certified EMT in Israel and volunteers with Magen David Adom.
Josh Commer, Coordinator
Josh has been a Hatzalah member for almost 20 years, serving in Staten Island before relocating to Livingston with his family. He was also the co-founder and co-coordinator of the Superstorm Sandy Disaster Assistance Response Team. Before joining Hatzalah, Josh volunteered and held leadership roles in 911 services, including the CCNY Rescue Squad and the Forest Hills Volunteer Ambulance Corps, with whom he responded to the 9-11 disaster.
