Ten ultra-Orthodox (haredi) hassidic Jews from Uman, Ukraine, who fled to Israel in the wake of Russia's invasion, have trained with United Hatzalah to become EMTs, with the hope of returning to Ukraine and aiding their community.
The course in question, which taught the 10 Breslov hassidim from the city of Uman, was held in Jerusalem and taught by Hatzalah instructors Yechiel Mayberg and Uriel Amrani.
The goal of the course was designed to help with emergency medical response in and around Uman.
"You came to Israel and invested your time and efforts in order to learn how to give the most professional response to medical emergencies in Uman and throughout Ukraine. Your actions are worthy of the highest praise. You are the latest reinforcement to United Hatzalah’s extensive activities in Ukraine since the beginning of the war."
Eliezer Hyman
Uman: A small city in Ukraine, but a large hub for ultra-Orthodox Jewish pilgrims
Located in central Ukraine, the city of Uman has great spiritual importance for many haredi Jews, especially Breslov hassidim. This is because it is where Rabbi Nachman of Breslov, founder of the Breslov hassidic sect, is buried. As a result, the city has become a major pilgrimage spot for hundreds of thousands of Jews worldwide, with huge groups flocking to the site annually every Rosh Hashanah.
However, Uman, like many other Ukrainian cities, has been under fire for months ever since the outbreak of the Russia-Ukraine War. This has also seen widespread evacuations of residents out of the country, including to Israel.
That is what makes this so important for these 10 refugees, who hope to return to Uman soon and help with providing medical aid in the ongoing crisis.
The 10 trainees were praised by United Hatzalah vice president of volunteer operations Eliezer Hyman.
"You came to Israel and invested your time and efforts in order to learn how to give the most professional response to medical emergencies in Uman and throughout Ukraine," Hyman said.
"Your actions are worthy of the highest praise. You are the latest reinforcement to United Hatzalah’s extensive activities in Ukraine since the beginning of the war."