Israel‑Hamas

LIVE Updates Maps Photos Who Are the Houthis? Inside a Devastated Gaza
War ›

They Thought They Knew Death, but That Didn’t

Prepare Them for Oct. 7
Volunteers with ZAKA, an Israeli group that recovers dead bodies, were
among the first to reach the victims of the Hamas‑led attacks. The trauma
of what they witnessed may last a lifetime.

Share full article

David Weissenstern, left, Menachem Weissenstern, Israel Ganot, Yossi Weisenstern, Duby Weisenstern and
Efi Epshtein, all volunteers with ZAKA, last month in Yesodot, Israel. Maya Levin for The New York Times

By Sheera Frenkel
Sheera Frenkel followed ZAKA volunteers during their work in southern Israel to report
this article.

Jan. 15, 2024, 5:01 a.m. ET

At 76, David Weissenstern has collected the remains of the dead for most
of his adult life. But after the Oct. 7 attacks, in which Hamas-led fighters
killed about 1,200 people along Israel’s border with Gaza, he can no longer
stand the smell of grilled meat. The odor, he says, reminds him too much of
burned human flesh.

His son Duby Weissenstern, 48, has lost track of time after working
successive days and nights to recover those killed on Oct. 7. He now marks
time in relation to that date.

And his son-in-law Israel Ganot, 32, now gags at the smell of food that has
turned rotten. He was in the second wave of recovery workers who
reached bodies that had been trapped under rubble for weeks.

All three men are part of ZAKA, an Israeli nonprofit founded in 1995 whose
name is the Hebrew acronym for Disaster Victim Identification. Its black-
and-yellow vests have become synonymous with bus bombings and
shootings in Israel, and its members are often first and last on the scene,
rushing to collect every drop of blood and bone fragment for burial,
sometimes even before the police arrive.

Made up of more than 3,000 volunteers, most of them ultra-Orthodox

Jewish men, the group says it is driven by a holy mission to give families
closure after the violent death of loved ones.

But there is little closure for the volunteers.

The work, they say, can be psychologically taxing, with many not even
beginning to cope with the trauma of Oct. 7. And they are frequently called
upon to recount what they saw by Israeli government officials and
journalists, which can re-traumatize them, psychologists say.

Thank you for your patience while we verify access.

Already a subscriber? Log in.
Want all of The Times? Subscribe.

ADVERTISEMENT
 © 2024 The New York Times Company

NYTCo Contact Us Accessibility Work with us Advertise T Brand Studio Your Ad Choices Privacy Policy Terms of Service
Terms of Sale Site Map Canada International Help Subscriptions

Manage Privacy Preferences