Israeli Voluntary Aid Organizations - ZAKA

In addition to the government medical and forensic staff sent to Thailand, Israel sent a non-governmental forensic organization known by its Hebrew acronym “ZAKA”, which stands for “Identification of Disaster Victims” (Zihui Korbanot Asson). ZAKA was established in 1995 by a group of hareidi (“ultra-orthodox”) individuals who identified the need for an organization that would be able to arrive quickly at the scenes of major terror attacks and begin the identification process that would ensure compassionate and quick work that is so vital to desperate and grieving families and their need for closure and dignity. They are trained in a wide range of emergency and forensic procedures, so that they can work as a team, although their primary goal is to find victims, locate any and all human remains, identifying features or belongings, in order to help make positive identification. Over the years, ZAKA has distinguished itself for its dedication, diligence, and innovative methods of identification, which in some cases have been adopted by the professionals.

In an interview with the Jerusalem Post, Yehuda Meshi-Zahav, the founder and director of ZAKA, explained that his team of five experts worked virtually around the clock in Thailand, partly because of the great amount of work, and partly because the ghastly images made it hard to sleep in any case. While still in Thailand, Meshi-Zahav stated that, “We want especially to identify Israelis and Jews, but we are here to help all human beings." Many of the other rescue workers and forensic experts from other countries turned to the ZAKA workers for aid and advice, and were continually impressed with their professionalism and know-how.

Links

ZAKA's forensic contributions in Thailand
http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?pagename=JPost/JPArticle/
Printer&cid=1104808688592&p=1006953080053

ZAKA head describes relief efforts:
http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?pagename=JPost/JPArticle/
Printer&cid=1104808688592&p=1006953080053

ZAKA's Hebrew website:
http://www.zaka.org.il

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