ZAKA Search & Rescue volunteers worked virtually nonstop through a succession of tragedies across Israel and internationally over a single 24-hour period Sunday, marking what officials describe as the organization’s busiest 24-hour period of 5786.
Its teams were dispatched from one tragedy to the next, responding to multiple fatal incidents involving children, teenagers and adults across Israel while the organization’s International Unit simultaneously assisted a Jewish family from Jerusalem following the death of a 4-year-old in a swimming accident in Mexico.
The boy drowned in a hotel pool in San José del Cabo while vacationing with his family. ZAKA worked with Mexican authorities and other relevant agencies to help the family and successfully prevent an autopsy. The child’s body was released, and the organization is working to coordinate his return to Israel for burial.
Back in Israel, volunteers responded in rapid succession to a series of tragedies, including the death of a 5-year-old child in Lod; the drowning of a 12-year-old boy in the Jordan River; and the death of a 16-year-old boy in a rappelling accident in northern Israel.
ZAKA search and rescue teams also responded to multiple fatal traffic accidents and several cases involving people who were found deceased in their homes, including individuals who had died several days earlier.
The string of incidents required volunteers and commanders across the country to move continuously from one scene to the next while the organization simultaneously coordinated an international response in Mexico.
“Over the course of this extraordinary 24-hour period, our volunteers were working back to back, responding to one tragedy after another across Israel while our International Unit was simultaneously assisting a Jewish family thousands of miles away in Mexico,” said Moshe Rozenberg, ZAKA North executive director. “There was virtually no pause between calls. Behind every incident is a family experiencing unimaginable loss, and our volunteers remain committed to being there, no matter how many calls come in or where they occur.”
The intense period also demonstrated the breadth of operations, with teams responding across Israel while the organization’s international network coordinated with authorities and community partners overseas.
“This was an extraordinary 24 hours for the thousands of volunteers who stand ready to respond whenever tragedy strikes,” said CEO Dubi Weissenstern. “Our volunteers continued working through one difficult scene after another, providing support to families and ensuring Kavod HaMeit.”
At the same time, he reported, “our international teams were doing the same for a Jewish family in Mexico. Whether a tragedy occurs in Israel or thousands of miles away, our responsibility does not change. We are there to serve, to support and to ensure that no family faces these moments alone.”
The 24-hour period comes as families across Israel enter the final weeks of the summer, a time when travel, vacations and outdoor activities increase, and ZAKA remains prepared to respond around the clock.
