NEW YORK—Judge Rachel Freier said she got her ambitious quality from her mother.
Freier went from being a lawyer to becoming the first female Hasidic judge in 2016. She said it was “always her dream.”
“It’s part of our family, a part of our genetic makeup,” she told NTD News. “If I just become very passionate about something, I’ll become very ambitious about it.”
She gained mainstream recognition after she proposed creating an all-female Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) division in the all-male Jewish medical agency Hatzolah.
Because Orthodox Jewish woman abide by laws of modesty, Freier said the women feel very uncomfortable and embarrassed when being treated by men—especially in the tightly-knitted orthodox community in Borough Park, Brooklyn.
Even physical touch by men other than your husband is prohibited, male EMTs are allowed to do so in times of emergency.
“Aside from the fact that it’s a male responder, it’s a male responder who they know well; it’s someone from the community which adds to the level of embarrassment,” she said.
However, Hatzolah denied her proposal.
Female Option in the Making
Freier said she doesn’t know why they denied the offer. In the 2018 documentary 93Queen, however, she said members of Hatzolah “think that women aren’t fast enough, strong enough, or smart enough.”
We asked her to confirm this, and she said it was an assumption.
“So for many years I’ve answered questions, why do they do this, or why are they saying that,” she said, “and I’ve realized after all these years that I really can’t make assumptions.”
We reached out to Hatzolah to find out why they turned down the proposal but they didn’t respond. However, an unidentified man claiming to be a member of Hatzolah said in the documentary that a woman’s place in Judaism is the home.
Conversely, EMT agencies from Israel, like United Hatzalah, have female members.
Despite the setback, Freier and her supporters took it into their own hands and founded Ezras Nashim in 2012. For years, she and her fellow EMTs have been dispatched to help the women of Brooklyn’s Jewish communities—all for the sake of modesty.
And although there are exceptions for when a man can touch a woman, like during an emergency, Freier said women still need the option to choose whether they want women to treat them.
For a few years now, they’ve given an all-female option for emergency births and other medical emergencies.
Ambulance Troubles
EMT Sarah Husney is one of the agencies approximately 60 members.
She gave us a look into one of their vehicles, and inside the van were neatly packed medical supplies and the agency’s distinguishable purple vest.
Since their startup, they’ve relied on vehicles other than ambulances. However, they were looking to change that and met their initial fundraising goal of $20,000 for an ambulance last year.
The agency has relied completely on donations, yet, in another setback, days before their goal was met, they were denied a license for an ambulance.
The Regional Medical Services Council denied the request in a 12 to 7 vote. And this has slowed down their work.
Because they don’t have an ambulance, they have to call the New York City Fire Department to transport the patient.
But they appealed the council’s decision to the state, and the case is now pending.
Empowering Women
In an interview last year with the San Diego Jewish Journal, the director of 93Queen Paula Eiselt called the story of Ezras Nashim part of a “universal story of women’s empowerment and feminism that is erupting stronger than ever all over the world.”
Another commonly-quoted Jewish blog apparently accused the agency of amounting to a “radical feminist agenda.” Freier actually denies being a feminist in the documentary, but told us they are empowering women.
“So, I think that what we’re doing is, yes, empowering woman,” she said.”I think women have been powerful going back to biblical times, and women in Judaism have always had a special place.”
She added that her message is about recognizing that women have always traditionally cared for and looked after other women. And despite the criticism, several rabbis have publicly endorsed the agency—believers in Freier’s cause.
“My mother always taught us that you stand up for what’s right, you don’t buckle down,” she said. “So if you’re doing something that’s right, and you believe God runs the world, just keep on going, just keep having faith, and it’s just a question of time.”
