Only in Israel !

How can one explain the wonderful sense of community and commitment that binds us together here in the Land. We may not agree on many issues ~ even painfully disagree. But there is a tie that holds us close in the worst of times. And in the best of times. A tie that causes us to 'be there' for each other when it is genuinely important.

ZAKA, founded in 1995, is Israel's dominant non-governmental lifesaving, rescue and recovery organization, with over 1500 volunteers on call 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, to respond to any terror attack, disaster or accident immediately, professionally and with the necessary equipment. ZAKA is perhaps best known for its sacred work in collecting human remains to ensure a proper Jewish burial, is also active in the fields of emergency response, search and rescue (including specialist canine, divers and rappelling units) and accident prevention. ZAKA is the Hebrew acronym for 'Disaster Victim Identification'.  There's is a grueling job done with the attitude of a Mitzvah and with no expectation of award or honors. Here is a video that explains why these men volunteer:

This past week though, there was an unexpected turn of events for one ZAKA member....

GENERALLY SPEAKING, ZAKA volunteers are called upon in times of tragedy and trauma, but this week ZAKA volunteer Berele Yaacovitz of Bnei Brak, who has been part of ZAKA’s search, rescue and life-saving efforts for more than a decade, was called for a different kind of emergency. A bride, whose wedding hall was located next to Kiryat Vishnitz, was getting married on the day of the funeral of Rabbi Moshe Yehoshua Hager, the Vishnitzer Rebbe. With the thousands of people who thronged the streets blocking her way, it was almost impossible for her to get to the wedding hall on time.

Thinking outside the box, the bride called the ZAKA hotline and explained her predicament. Within minutes, ZAKA had dispatched an ambulance to her door to drive her through the crowd. “This is the first time that I’ve been involved in a joyous event,” said Yacovitz, who was thrilled to have performed the mitzva. “It’s a truly emotional moment for me to see my vehicle, which has seen so much sorrow and tragedy, take a bride to her wedding.

Original Story here

 To Donate to ZAKA Click here.