An Urgent Appeal For ZAKA

Throwing yourself into the middle of a forest fire or humanitarian crisis might not be the first thing that comes mind when one thinks of charity. And the hands-on approach to aid abroad can become infinitely grittier, and more dangerous, than most people might like. Certainly enough so that only someone dedicated to their cause would be crazy enough to do that kind of work.

Just ask the ZAKA organization, who began thusly, in its own words: 

"In 1989, while studying in a yeshiva, Yehuda Meshi Zahav, the founder and chairman of ZAKA, and his fellow students were startled into reality by a thunderous boom, 2 minutes of silence and then scores of bloodcurdling screams. The number 405 bus was steered over the mountainside by a terrorist. The bus exploded and 17 people died and scores were injured. Yehuda and his colleagues rushed to the scene and began to care for the wounded and dead. It was chilling and horrifying chaos, Yehuda relates. For six years after this incident Meshi Zahav and a dedicated group of volunteers continued this work of Chesed Shel Emet, the work that "makes God smile". The volunteers of ZAKA selflessly overcame the horror of terrorist attacks to recover human remains - fulfilling the biblical commandment to bury the dead "on the same day."

ZAKA became an official organisation in 1995. It began as an organisation that was responsible for the recovery and identification of body parts, Chesed Shel Emet. Since its inception, the organisation has grown to include its Motorcycle Unit for Rapid Rescue, the Search and Rescue Unit and departments handling public education and community services."

ZAKA was one of the first organizations on the ground during the earthquake crisis in Haiti, staying in the country for two months "until we were able to identify the remains of a Canadian Jewish businessman who was killed in the earthquake.” That is the sort of work that ZAKA does: grim is their only kind of business. And last month, when a massive forest fire started raging near Israel's Carmen mountain range - burning to death close to 40 prison cadets, who were trapped as they bussed their way to help evacuate Damon Prison - 170 volunteers from ZAKA's Northern Command joined emergency forces on the ground there too. Their work consisted of, essentially, finding, identifying, and removing charred bodies from the area, efforts which earned them the praise of Israeli Interior Minister Eli Yishai.

This ghastly work doesn't come without a cost, as ZAKA has found. As Lydia Weitzman of the Canada-based ZAKA International Rescue Unit group on Facebook explains: "Donations are urgently needed to replace the $75,000 worth of ZAKA's emergency equipment used or destroyed by the Carmel Forest Fire." Almost more so than dedication, it takes money to do what ZAKA does effectively.

So, as they continue with their work, why don't we help them defray some of the cost of buying new equipment? You can make a quick donation here if you like, or donate an item directly via the US Friends of ZAKA home page. It would undoubtedly be appreciated.

Walker Morrow is a Contributing Writer for The Propagandist