Former Pittsburgh Mayoral Candidate Saves Lives of Arab Neighbors as Jewish EMT in East Jerusalem

Two weeks ago, the lone Jewish EMT in the East Jerusalem chapter of United Hatzalah raced across the Arab neighborhood of Wadi Qadum as he got one of the emergency medical calls that he has become accustomed to receiving. In under three minutes, he arrived at the home of an Arab woman, a resident of the area, and began to treat her for a severe allergic reaction. He was later joined by members of the chapter’s ambucycle unit, his fellow EMTs and paramedics, all of whom are Arab. While some may be familiar with the 300 Arab volunteers of United Hatzalah working within the larger Jewish organization, this is the story of the lone Jewish EMT volunteer in the Arab chapter of east Jerusalem. Josh Wander lives in Ma’ale Zeitim, a gated community atop the Mount of Olives in east Jerusalem. From there he goes out to answer calls of those in need and suffering medical emergencies in the surrounding neighborhoods including the many Arabs who live in the  neighboring communities. Wander is an immigrant from Pittsburgh, PA, where he was the Republican nominee for mayor. He lives with his family in the close-knit community because he and his wife, Tali, felt that it was the best place to raise their children. During an interview he conducted shortly after moving to the neighborhood, Wander told the Pittsburgh Post Gazette, “We live in what would be considered one of the more contentious areas of the country, but it’s all a matter of tolerance. People would say, ‘Don’t you...
Source: JEMS: Journal of Emergency Medical Services News - Category: Emergency Medicine Tags: News Patient Care Source Type: news