ZAKA

==Background==
ZAKA volunteers respond to the scenes of violent attacks and homicides throughout Israel. The volunteers are trained paramedics and are on call 24/7.<ref name="JTA1" /> ZAKA collects the remains of the dead, including their blood, so that they may be buried in accordance with Jewish religious law. Volunteers are allowed to work on [[Shabbat]], because the sabbath can be broken in matters of life and death.<ref name="BBC" />

Members of ZAKA, most of whom are [[Orthodox Judaism|Orthodox Jews]], assist [[ambulance]] crews, aid in the identification of the victims of violence, road accidents and other disasters, and where necessary gather body parts and spilled [[blood]] for proper [[Bereavement in Judaism#Funeral service|Jewish burial]]. They also provide [[first aid]] and [[rescue]] services, and help with the search for missing persons and participate in international rescue and recovery operations.<ref>{{Cite news |title=היחסים בין חרדים לבין חילונים נרקמים מחדש אחרי 7 באוקטובר |url=https://www.themarker.com/news/politics/2023-10-25/ty-article/0000018b-62bd-d473-a5fb-66fd1ed90000 |access-date=2024-03-04 |work=TheMarker}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=העורף |first=כיכר בשיתוף פיקוד |date=2021-03-21 |title=פיקוד העורף וזק"א מסכמים מבצע הס.. |url=https://www.kikar.co.il/general/388010 |access-date=2024-03-04 |website=כיכר השבת |language=he}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=ZAKA exploited Hamas’s October 7 attack to campaign for donations – report |url=https://www.timesofisrael.com/zaka-exploited-hamass-october-7-attack-to-campaign-for-donations-report/}}</ref>

After acts of violence, ZAKA volunteers also collect the bodies and body parts of non-Jews, including [[Suicide bombing|suicide bombers]], for return to their families. The phrase "''Chesed shel Emet"'' refers to doing "kindness" for the benefit of the deceased, which is considered to be "true kindness", because the (deceased) beneficiaries of the kindness cannot return the kindness.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2019-11-28 |title=ZAKA's mission: Picking up the pieces |url=https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/zakas-mission-picking-up-the-pieces-609061 |access-date=2024-03-04 |website=The Jerusalem Post {{!}} JPost.com |language=en}}</ref>