It’s the Jewish world’s way of saying thank you. Beginning Lag baomer evening and continuing late into Lag Baomer day (May 11-12), a slew of the top talent in the Jewish music industry will be taking the virtual stage to fuel a 24 hour drive of giving to Hatzalahs around North America. It’s being billed as “Hatzalah-Thon: A Day of Joy, Appreciation, and Giving.”
The lineup continues to grow daily. The most recently updated list includes:
In an unprecedented display of unity, every Hatzalah in North America is joining forces for one, coordinated drive to raise much needed funds as they battle the Coronavirus in communities across the nation.
Each local Hatzalah will have its own unique landing page, enabling community members to say thank you to their volunteers who are saving lives daily.
The concert and fundraiser is developed and created by United for Protection, a grassroots initiative started by three Brooklyn-based businessmen to respond to the virus with acts of Jewish unity. Their first project, the Miracle Sefer Torah, united over 300,000 Jews from over 70 countries in the writing of a Torah for protection and health, as per the instruction of Baal Shem Tov in similar circumstances.
Now, they have turned their attention to arguably one of the most important institutions in Jewish communities right now--Hatzalah.
“The non-stop sirens from two weeks ago are still ringing in my ears,” organizer Zalmy Cohen said. “These individuals, they have families, they have their own health to protect, they are volunteers. What they have done and continue to do is awe-inspiring.”
Shloimy Greenwald, also of United for Protection, added, “These Hatzalahs have very heavy costs to ensure they have the best equipment and training. They deserve and need our support at this time, more than ever.”
But the objective of the drive is more than just financial relief. “This day is about three things: Hakaras hatov, simcha, and achdus,” said Berel Junik, another of the organizers. “On the day of R’ Akiva’s students salvation, we are celebrating our heroic Hatzalahs, we are saying thank you, and we are showing Hashem that we are united now more than ever.”
To learn more about United for Protection and the Hatzalal-Thon, head to Unitedforprotection.com
The following is a list (alphabetical order) of all participating Hatzalahs:
Baltimore, Boro Park, Catskills, Chicago, Crown Heights, Dallas, Detroit, Flatbush, Houston, Hudson County, Hatzolah Air, Jersey Shore, Kiryas Tosh, Lakewood, Los Angeles, Lower East Side, Middlesex County, Mill Basin/Canarsie, Monroe/Kiryas Yoel, Monsey, Montreal, New Square, Passaic/Clifton, Philadelphia, Queens, Riverdale, Rockaways/Nassau County, Seagate, South Florida, Staten Island, Toronto, Upper East Side, Washington Heights, West Side, Williamsburg.
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