Born in London to parents who are Baalei Chessed, Yossi Fraenkel followed in his parents footsteps, making chessed a main focal point of his life. Volunteering is clearly in Yossi's DNA - he can be called upon to assist with any crisis. Yossi also volunteers as a paramedic in Magen David Adom, Israel’s ambulance service and as a volunteer Police Officer in the Israel Police. And in his "spare time" he runs the Mayanot Shul in Jerusalem in a volunteer capacity as well as writes a weekly publication.
Yossi owned and operated Mike’s Place, the renowned kosher bar / restaurant in downtown Jerusalem for about 3 years. That did not stop him from leaving his patrons to answer an emergency call, as and when it occurs. As a paramedic, he understands the vital importance of a fast and professional response to an emergency situation.
Yossi also volunteered for 16 years as the Operations Officer of the ZAKA International Rescue Unit, as well as the Deputy Commander to the ZAKA Jerusalem teams and a spokesman for ZAKA Search and Rescue, spreading the word about the unique mission of the UN-recognized volunteer organization that works in Israel and around the world to save those who can be saved and honor those who cannot.
After being ordained by Former Chief Rabbi of Israel, Rabbi Yonah Metzger in 2014, Yossi, then living in New York, became an Honorary Chaplain to the New York Police Department. Throughout his varied voluntary service, he has found himself in many situations from being stuck in prison for Yom Kippur to being on conference calls with terrorists in Mumbai to helping with the clean-up efforts and locating Jewish victims from various hurricanes and tsunamis, as well as picking up body parts and soaking up the blood of victims of car, plane and train accidents and at countless terror attacks.
