“A soldier’s job is to take control of an area and advance,” says ZAKA Dubi Weissenstern, “but his ultimate goal is not to kill. Soldiers don’t always encounter death. The entire principle of ZAKA is to care for the dead – again and again.”
When Weissenstern explains the work of ZAKA volunteers, it becomes clear why his dream is to establish a resilience center for ZAKA volunteers – to lessen the considerable stress they deal with in facing tragedy time after time.
ZAKA, Israel’s volunteer-based emergency response organization, is known for its dedicated efforts at the scenes of natural disasters, road accidents, murders, and terrorist attacks. Its mission includes the respectful identification and retrieval of the deceased, often under difficult conditions.
Facing the Unimaginable: The Psychological Toll of October 7
The atrocities committed by Hamas during the October 7 attacks in southern Israel presented an unprecedented level of trauma for ZAKA volunteers. Following the attacks, as teams worked to recover the bodies of victims, the psychological burden became overwhelming.
In response, ZAKA launched a resilience division just one month into the war, hiring a psychologist to support its members—a historic step for the organization. Weissenstern explains:
“For 35 years,” says Weissenstern, “ZAKA members said, ‘We’re strong; we don’t need therapy.’ Our faith was our strength, but October 7 broke something in us. It was too much. When we arrive at the site of an accident, there is usually one story – a crash and one or two victims. This time, there were too many. We couldn’t process anything.”
Every day, ZAKA volunteers face the unimaginable. They run toward the disaster when others flee, ensuring dignity for the dead and support for the living. But the unseen wounds of these experiences linger, deepening with every call. Without urgent intervention, trauma becomes a silent battle, one they are left to fight alone.
One volunteer said, “I have carried people’s last moments with me for years. I see their faces when I close my eyes, and I hear their voices in my sleep. After October 7, it became unbearable. I knew how to help others, but I had no idea how to help myself.”
Building a Lifeline: ZAKA’s Vision of Resilience Centers
Since October 7, the need for mental health support among ZAKA volunteers has reached an urgent level, with over 30% developing PTSD (Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder). First responders experience a range of symptoms, including flashbacks, nightmares, anxiety, and emotional numbness.
ZAKA is committed to building a network of Resilience Centers to provide the care, healing, and strength they deserve. The organization’s immediate goal is to build a pilot center in Jerusalem, where there is a high concentration of ZAKA volunteers. This center will give them the space to collect patient recovery data and refine their operational processes with the goal of nationwide growth.
These centers will provide specialized care for first responders, holistic care with alternative therapies, as well as much-needed remote emergency support at any time of the day or night. The centers themselves will be designed for emotional decompression, while also having space to release physical tension through movement.
The ZAKA Resilience Centers are not just an investment in infrastructure; they are a lifeline for first responders suffering from trauma. In the words of one volunteer, “I’ve saved countless lives, but I feel like I’m losing my own. I don’t need medals or recognition—I need help.”
Written in collaboration with ZAKA