United Humans

Nechama and Tom Eisenman are the a truly cool EMS couple! Originally from NJ and MD, this awesome couple made aliyah and now live in Beit Shemesh with their 3 adorable kids. In addition to their full-time jobs and maintaining a family, they are both United Hatzalah volunteer EMTs. Date night for them is doing an ambulance shift together! This episode will make you laugh, smile and get you thinking about how you connect with your spouse. (Also you can find out Tom's real name!) Happy Tu B'Av!

This podcast is sure to get you thinking about many different topics about Israel, Judaism and the Diaspora dilemma, as Josh Wander covers much ground in this fascinating episode! (A good listen around or on Tisha B'av itself.)Josh is a man who wears many hats (including a cowboy hat), and is often labeled “controversial” for simply stating what he says is “Truth”, this flaming religious Zionist is simply remarkable. Josh Wander moved back to Israel from Pittsburgh in 2013, the same year he was the Republican nominee for Mayor of Pittsburgh. He now lives in a small Jewish neighborhood on the Mount of Olives in east Jerusalem.He is a United Hatzalah medic volunteer as well as a volunteer in many other organizations, an activist promoting the Jewish people to “Come Home to Israel” and runs an organization called 'Bring Them Home'. You can visit his website at: Itstimetoleave.comWander is married with six children. Watch this beautiful movie featuring Josh:https://youtu.be/zArTV7MqkaM

Yechiel and Yonatan, father and son, learned to become medics together. Originally from Chicago and now living in Efrat, they feel privileged to be part of the United Hatzalah family. Get to know them and listen to some of their wild stories! To watch the movie that Yechiel mentions in the podcast about his tennis story, click here: https://youtu.be/gXWepLUrYZgEnjoy!

Avi Marcus is a long-time paramedic and the deputy-head of the Medical Operations Team and the Director of United Hatzalah's Psychotrauma and Crisis Response Unit. Kalanit Taub is a medic volunteer and a full-time working mom. Both were at Meron last year when the tragedy occurred. Today, marks the first anniversary of that terrible tragedy. In this difficult but important episode, Kalanit and Avi speak about their experiences. Listening discretion is advised. May the 45 precious souls that were killed on Lag B'Omer have an Aliyah Neshama.

In 1980 Brenda Horwitz-Prawer made Aliyah when she was just 19-years-old. Today, she is a retired principal, very active United Hatzalah medic, an elected City Council member in Ma'aleh Adumim and an inspirational woman who has a lot to say about moving to Israel and making it her eternal home. She has been through various difficult challenges, but with her husband, three children and grandchildren, she feels she has been a trailblazer for so many Olim who followed her pioneering spirit. This is the perfect episode to listen to on Yom Ha'atzmaut!

Pnina Weiss Peretz made Aliya from Dallas, Texas, together with her family in 1992. In September 2002, she lost her 21-year-old brother Ari who was a soldier in the Israeli army. Ari, H'yd, was killed saving his friend's life when they were both shot performing guard duty. Today, on Yom Hazikaron, we remember our fallen soldiers and this story is sure to help you plug into the meaning of the day. Today, Pnina lives in Modiin with her husband and 2 children and is an active medic in United Hatzalah as a way to commemorate Ari's life and his memory. May Ari's memory and legacy live on always through the acts of kindness of his sister Pnina and the rest of Am Yisrael.

In this episode, you will hear a first-hand encounter from Dr. Sharon Slater and Rabbi Daniel Katzenstein- who are both founding members of the Psychotrauma Crisis and Response Unit. They were both in Moldova assisting the refugees and on this podcast, you will hear some harrowing stories and detailed accounts of what this mission was all about- especially from the view point of the Psychotrauma volunteers. Want to hear what is going at the border of Ukraine? Listen to this.

Dr. Einat Kaufman has a Ph.D. in psychology and is an expert in anxiety, trauma, and bereavement psychology. She has a private practice in Rishon Letzion and is also the head of United Hatzalah's Psychotrauma Criss and Response Unit. Listen to Einat talk about her personal story as well as what the Psychotrauma Unit is all about!

Yosef (Yogi) Rimel was one of the first volunteers in United Hatzalah. In 2006, when the organization was officially founded, he was there standing proud. Yogi has a lot of incredible stories he shares on this podcast but you might recognize his last name from this horrific story 2 years ago: His daughter in law Tzippi and 3 week old granddaughter, Noam, were killed in a horrific car accident that also left Yogi's son, Ephraim a paraplegic and his grandson, Etai, barely clinging to life with little chance of survival. This podcast is so moving and exudes resilience, strength and positivity.

Maayan was a paramedic in the army, is now a volunteer paramedic in United Hatzalah, and is in her 5th year of medical school. She is married to Jessica and they are mothers to their baby Eli. She is a woman who represents equality, justice and is the definition of "Do not judge”. She truly believes never judge or sum up a “group of people” by one person. Her messages on humanity, including gay pride, drives the message of United Humans home: we are all one people, and when it comes to saving lives in Israel, there is no discrimination. This podcast is really powerful with some amazing stories! A must listen.To learn more about Shira Banki who was killed in 2015 at the gay pride parade in Jerusalem, and to donate to "Shira Banki’s Way", please visit https://www.sbw.org.il/en/shira-bankis-way

Esther Pamensky did not grow up religious and never dreamed she would live in Israel. Today, she lives in Jerusalem with her husband and 4 kids and is a medic for United Hatzalah. But her journey has not been easy! An eye witness to 9/11, losing her brother and father, and many other challenges has brought her to where she is today: a truly remarkable woman.

Noa Salant was born in Jerusalem and now lives in Tel Aviv. She is an actress, learning to be a group facilitator, a teacher, a yogini, and is the woman who rides her bike through the busy city of tel Aviv with her medic bag and blonde curls bouncing up and down as she saves lives. Her story is powerful but her messages are even more incredible. This podcast will make you think about a woman's role in a "man's world", about how women are being treated in the medical field, and how what one has been through can be a catalyst for becoming the person you want to be. Noa's challenges became a springboard in becoming the remarkable woman that she is! Enjoy!

Lillian is from Kenya and Edith is from Nigeria. They have lived in Israel for many years and how they got here is a podcast onto itself! Devout Christians and believers in Tikun Olam (making the world a better place), they were deeply inspired by the volunteers of United Hatzalah and joined the NREMT class of 2020. They graduated, and since this podcast was recorded, have received their vests, bags and are going out on calls. These two truly special women, who both have had fascinating journeys, exemplify the unity that exists in United Hatzalah! Enjoy!

Ari Deutsch wears black and white and is a typical ultra-Orthodox Jew. He is the teacher of many of our medic courses (in Hebrew) and in the last few years has taught all the NREMT classes (in English) as well as the NCSY Camp Rescue summer program. In this podcast Ari shares all the many kinds of people he has interacted with as a medic and as a teacher and how he relates to people different than him. His perspectives and views are nothing less than remarkable. He also suffered the loss of his dear mother during the first wave of Covid-19. There is so much to gain from this insightful podcast- we know you will enjoy. Don’t forget to share and give a review! Thanks for listening.

This episode is truly incredible because Jennifer is simply an amazing person who shared her journey with us. There is a trigger warning on this episode because she speaks about mental health issues and suicide. The depth of which she shared was so touching that you will most certainly hear sniffles and silent tears…but it’s truly a crucial episode with important messages. We wanted to share a few links here:To join Jennifer’s group on FB- please reach out to her: https://www.facebook.com/jennifer.starkmanattias In Israel if you are searching for mental health help please visit Enosh.org.ol or Milam.org.il or contact Amudim Israel at office@amudim.org.il (02-374-0175). There is also a great FB group called: Israeli Parents of Kids with Mental Health Challenges. In America, you can reach out to Amudim HQ at amudim.org, 646-517-0222 or info@amudim.org. You can also contact Crisis Intervention “Project Chai” (Chai Lifeline) by calling their 24-hour crisis help hotline- 855-3-crisis (855-327-4747) or e-mail crisis@chailifeline.org The main message- there is lots of support out there- so try to find the courage to reach out!

Welcome to United Humans- a podcast that goes into the personal lives of United Hatzalah's 6,000+ volunteer medics and their families. Hosts Amy Ozeri and Sarah Bechor facilitate these meaningful conversations and delve into the guests personal struggles, their challenges and their human side…. Get to know these diverse volunteers from all across the country and walks of life! United Hatzalah's only mission is saving lives and in this podcast we discuss how that doesn’t leave room for discrimination against color, race, religion or sexual orientation. Join us as we talk about fear, trauma, pain, and discuss the many kinds of people that exist in the organization. Share this with a friend and leave a positive review wherever you choose to listen to podcasts!