By Meredith Mandell
Herald News
Copyright 2008 The Herald News
PASSAIC, N.J. — This city has seen its share of turf wars, but nothing like this week’s confrontation between rival Orthodox Jewish ambulance companies.
Three members of Hatzolah of Passaic/Clifton were arrested for allegedly stealing equipment from Hatzolah EMS of North Jersey of Passaic Clifton. The men contend they are innocent and that Tuesday’s confrontation was a misunderstanding.
Police arrested Abraham Koplowitz, 32, of Brook Avenue, Moshe Spareshefsky, 27, of Brook Avenue and Heshy Cohen, 32, of Van Houten Avenue. All three were charged with burglary and theft. Cohen was also charged with simple assault.
Police gave this account: Around 11 p.m. Tuesday, Koplowitz, Spareshefsky and Cohen surrounded David Kaplan, founder of Hatzolah EMS of North Jersey, when he was sitting in his ambulance on Bond Street while off-duty.
The three men allegedly began removing equipment from Kaplan’s ambulance. Kaplan allegedly got out of the ambulance and used his camera to take a picture of the three removing the equipment from the unlocked back door. Cohen allegedly slapped Kaplan, causing him to drop the cell phone. The three then allegedly made off with backboards and a splint kit.
“It looks like there is a squabble between one ambulance corps and the other ambulance corps,” said police Detective Andrew White, of the Passaic police department.
The three were arraigned Wednesday morning and freed on their own recognizance. Kaplan said he was treated at St. Mary’s Hospital for wrist injuries.
Koplowitz, in a telephone interview Wednesday, said the equipment he and the two others are accused of burglarizing actually belongs to them. Koplowitz said the equipment was clearly labeled with their ambulance service’s name on it. He said when a backboard is used on a patient, ambulance workers leave it at hospitals for the hospital workers to sanitize. When his group tried to pick it up, they discovered it was gone.
“We were retrieving equipment that was rightfully ours,” he said.
He said Kaplan’s assertion that Cohen assaulted him is a lie.
“Mr. Kaplan came close to Mr. Cohen’s arm. He went up and knocked the camera out of his hand. There was no physical contact,” Koplowitz said.
Rivalry between the two ambulance companies that serve the Jewish community in Passaic County has been festering for months since members of Kaplan’s corps broke away and joined the rival company.
According to Kaplan, he formed the volunteer agency corps in 2003, buying the equipment and registering as a nonprofit organization. Kaplan said Rabbi Menachem Zupnick asked to become the spiritual leader of the corps. He said Zupnick promised to raise funds for the volunteer agency but never did.
Zupnick was unavailable for comment on Wednesday evening.
Kaplan said his relationship with Zupnick began to unravel when Zupnick wanted to appoint an additional leader to the organization. Kaplan said Zupnick “never delivered” on any of the promises he made.
Zupnick and EMS ambulance workers broke away from Kaplan’s nonprofit seven months ago, forming the new group, Kaplan said.
“He ordered my volunteers, that according to Jewish law, they are required to leave my organization and they did,” Kaplan said.
“That’s completely not true, the members left on their own accord due to complete lack of oversight and proper leadership,” Koplowitz said.
In November police were called when Koplowitz tried to remove five oxygen tanks from the garage Kaplan’s squad uses at 11 Waverly Place, asserting that the equipment, allegedly bought with community money, was rightfully his. The equipment was returned to Kaplan and police advised Koplowitz to pursue the matter in civil court if he wanted the tanks.
Fast facts
Hatzolah is an international ambulance corps staffed by volunteers in orthodox Jewish neighborhoods in the United States, Israel, and major countries around the world.
Rabbi Hershel Weber founded the first Hatzolah ambulance corps in the United States in the late 1960s.
Hatzolah ambulances are equipped with special devices to respect Orthodox Jewish patients’ Sabbath observances.
Hatzolah means “rescue” or “relief” in Hebrew.