ZAKA, an Israeli volunteer emergency response organization, has signed a memorandum of understanding with the National Sheriffs’ Association (NSA) to provide specialized training to US law enforcement.
A ceremony marking the agreement was held last week in Washington, DC, with 150 sheriffs from across the United States and senior ZAKA officials, led by CEO Dubi Weissensetrn.
"After October 7, many delegations arrived in Israel, including one from the National Sheriffs’ Association," Wiesenstern told The Jerusalem Post. "After the visit, the sheriffs contacted us, and I said, ‘We should get in touch with them.’
"This is a breakthrough memorandum for the Jewish communities in the US. It aims to bring the issue of honoring the dead to the sheriffs, explain to them why it is so important to release the body as quickly as possible, and why it is crucial to complete the initial investigation swiftly so the body can be buried."
The memorandum, signed between the two organizations, states: “This partnership ensures that in times of tragedy, dignity is upheld and proper procedures are followed to honor the deceased.”
The agreement also includes a decision to conduct mutual training sessions between ZAKA and US law enforcement, coordinate response protocols during mass casualty events, and work toward the respectful handling of remains.
"There is recognition in the Sheriffs’ Association, which includes more than 3,000 sheriffs in the US, of the importance of ZAKA. When we visited Israel, we saw firsthand the significance of the organization. This memorandum will strengthen the relationship between us and them," Sheriff Eric Severson of Waukesha, Wisconsin, told the Post.
He added: "This shows how interested we are in what is happening in Israel and, more broadly, in rescue organizations around the world."
In the coming months, several delegations from the Sheriffs’ Association will visit Israel to learn from ZAKA about handling bodies and the deceased in disaster zones.
“This will make us better at our jobs”
"I think what’s going to change from now on is that this partnership gives us the opportunity to spread what ZAKA knows throughout the United States to many different sheriffs," Canyon County Sheriff Kieran Donahue, president of the National Sheriffs’ Association, told the Post.
"We will try to get the sheriffs to understand the work that ZAKA does and then encourage more and more people to integrate this expertise into their training and apply it within their own agencies. This will make us better at our jobs and better at serving our people."