Hasidic women in Brooklyn break through the gender barrier to establish their own ambulance service

In a new documentary, the brave work of a group of rule-breaking women in an Orthodox Jewish community in Brooklyn is brought to light

The women of 93Queen. Photograph: Julieta Cervantes

For many years, Hasidic women in the Brooklyn neighbourhood of Borough Park had a problem.

If they were stricken by illness or accident, or suddenly went into labour, their only ambulance option was the local branch of the Hatzolah, a volunteer emergency service set up to serve Orthodox Jews.

The Hatzolah are good; the crews have a response time of one to two minutes. But the Hatzolah are also all male – a very real issue in a religion and community that orders strict separation of genders.

It meant Hasidic women needing emergency medical attention would sometimes refrain from calling for an ambulance.

“Women were too embarrassed to call for help and then didn’t call for help,” said Paula Eiselt, the director of 93Queen, a new documentary which follows the efforts of Hasidic women in Borough Park to set up their own all female, ambulance service.

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