ZAKA - Religiosity, Reverence, Respect

ZAKA is best known for respecting the deceased in whatever remains are available, and providing a full Jewish burial for those who meet a sudden death. With the deaths in Israel on October 7, Zaka became the resource for finding any remains available, from small fragments to whole bodies, and reverently creating a last Jewish home for so many.

Our speaker, a trained Social Worker who specializes in Grief Work recounted the horrific brutality of Hamas' killings, rapings, and burnings; coming in to find the body parts strewn or intact, and all with signs of unimaginable trauma. She spoked calmly and and evenly, but clearly was overwhelmed and still in deep trauma by the witnessing of Jewish lives cut short with tremendous suffering. The Zaka volunteers go where no one else goes, to provide solace to the souls of those harmed, irregardless of how hard, how long, and how traumatic it was to provide this care.

Zaka's mission prior to October 7 was itself so heart rendering; after October 7 ZACA teams encountered physical and emotional challenges beyond what they ever thought possible. One of the ways they experienced this was knowing some of those who were killed, and especially the existential reality that most of those killed, raped, and tortured were part of kibbutzim that were peace activists, and had long histories of working to help and provide support for those in Gaza. This was still hard for them to integrate and believe. This same thinking was mentioned several times on our trip, and goes to the loss of idealism and thinking of the viability of peace activists, a core Jewish value that was defied by these killings.

In addition to working to provide the physical care of death, Zaka also does search and rescue assistance. The needs of October 7 were well placed with and created other niches for ZACA.

I came out of the meeting with ZAKA with deep appreciation for their religious work to provide for our Jewish members in these horrific times. While we are so far away physically, politically, and religously , ZACA is a reminder of the depth of Jewish values and as our host said, the way we are all connected in the Jewish diaspora, and all bonded in our depth of feelings of how to integrate the experience of October 7 in our Jewish international community. I am honored to have met with ZACA, and to know this facet of Jewish religous life that is helping in such deep and important ways.

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