(NBC News) - Among the scores of rescue workers and policemen arriving within minutes at the scene of suicide attacks and terror bombings in Israel are the men of ZAKA, a Hebrew acronym for "Identification of Victims of Disaster." Wearing distinctive fluorescent green jackets marked with the words "Police Auxiliary," these ultra-Orthodox Jews are members of a volunteer organization whose first task is to treat the injured and save lives. They also collect body parts of the dead so that, in line with Jewish law, the entire corpse can be buried on the day of death, if possible. ZAKA has more than 600 volunteers throughout Israel and receives no funding from the Israeli government.
2002-07-19 00:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive