He lost his parents to COVID-19
Show your Support to Meshi during these times
Meet the Heros
What does ZAKA do?

Saving Lives
In any medical emergency, time is of the essence, with the first four minutes often meaning the difference between life and death. ZAKA paramedics, on-call every hour of every day and deployed around the country.

Respecting the Dead
True virtue (Chesed Shel Emes) – this is the emotional and highly distressing work for which ZAKA is best known. This is a unique unit with a unique mission – to honor the dead and ensure a full Jewish burial for those who meet a sudden death.

Volunteering in Israel
In addition to ZAKA’s work in honoring the dead, the volunteer organization has grown organically over the years to provide specialist search and rescue units which can be called upon, 24/7, throughout the country, on land and at sea.

International Search and rescue
The Jerusalem-based ZAKA International Rescue Unit operates a specially trained team of volunteer paramedics and search and rescue professionals who are on call 24/7, ready to respond in the fastest possible time to major international mass casualty incidents, wherever they may occur.
A Story of Chessed Shel Emes
ZAKA is Born
Yehuda Meshi Zahav founded ZAKA Search and Rescue in the early 1990’s. Today, ZAKA is a UN-recognized humanitarian volunteer organization that provides a rapid response to mass casualty disasters across the world. To date, ZAKA has saved thousands of lives—and honored those who couldn’t be saved with dignity in death.
ZAKA currently operates in 21 countries around the globe with over 700 volunteers. They continue to build their global footprint by providing crisis training in communities around the world. Their goal is to empower every community to mobilize their own resources – and save lives – in the first critical few days until international emergency forces arrive.
We are ready for whatever tomorrow brings.
About.
Yehuda Meshi Zahav founded ZAKA Search and Rescue in the early 1990’s. Today, ZAKA is UN-recognized humanitarian volunteer organization that provides a rapid response to mass casualty disasters across the world. To date, ZAKA has saved thousands of lives—and honored those who couldn’t be saved with dignity in death.
ZAKA currently operates in 21 countries around the globe with over 700 volunteers. They continue to build their global footprint by providing crisis training in communities around the world. Their goal is to empower every community to mobilize their own resources – and save lives – in the first critical few days until international emergency forces arrive.
We are ready for whatever tomorrow brings.
World Leaders Speak About ZAKA
ZAKA Chairman Meshi-Zahav told me that ‘We save anyone who needs to be saved, and honor all people equally’. I can think of few more profound ways to define the mission not only of humanitarians, but of anyone who believes in the principles of equality, human rights, and dignity, that the UN was created to uphold.

Samantha Power
US Ambassador to the UN
I would like to thank you all for the important work that you are doing and to encourage you to continue. You work to rescue people buried in the ruins, people who needed an outstretched arm, and that hand was yours.

Benjamin Netanyahu
Prime Minister of Israel
Your work in the devastated areas after the tsunami and earthquake and your specialist knowledge and assistance was much appreciated by the emergency services with whom you worked in the field. We in the Japanese Embassy have great esteem for the humanitarian endeavors of the ZAKA organization.

Haruhisa Takeuchi
Japanese Ambassador
Hear More
Latest from the blog
Looking back at 2020 and a statistic few have considered
"Have we become indifferent?! It’s just shocking that this has become part of our routine." As we look back on the many tragic effects of the corona...
ZAKA Volunteers visit the Horgen Family
ZAKA volunteers from Samaria who operated at the scene of the grizzly terrorist attack where Esther Horgan was murdered on Sunday, visited the...
Equipment Distribution Ceremony and Certificates of Appreciation to ZAKA Branch Managers
In a modest and exciting ceremony that took place over the weekend in Rishon Lezion, new equipment was distributed to ZAKA’s “Mourner’s Gamachs”....
ZAKA Signs Historic Collaboration with Counterparts in Dubai
ZAKA Search and Rescue is the first Israeli humanitarian organization to sign an agreement for collaboration with counterparts in Dubai ZAKA held a...
Neighbors Daily Check In Saves Senior Citizen After Falling Alone In His Apartment
Thanks to the vigilance of the neighbors, the life of an 85-year-old man who slipped and fell in his house was saved! ZAKA volunteers were called to...
ZAKA’s ‘Living Water’ operation is underway
ZAKA has come up with an ingenious way of tracking the lonely and childless through digital water clocks. This is part of ZAKAs continued to push...
Newsletter
Be the first to know about ZAKA operations around the world by subscribing to the ZAKA newsletter. Read first-hand accounts from volunteers about missions, get exclusive access to events and fundraisers, and stay updated on volunteer training programs near you.


Stay in touch
Newsletter