Chabad and ZAKA Announce Joint Initiative At Kinus Hashluchim For Search & Rescue and Chesed Shel Emes Worldwide
ZAKA Search & Rescue and Chabad have announced the establishment of a joint international emergency response, search and rescue and Chesed Shel Emes unit to provide rapid, professional assistance to Jewish communities facing emergencies and disasters worldwide.
The initiative was announced during the International Conference of Chabad-Lubavitch Emissaries (Kinus Hashluchim) in New York, bringing together Chabad’s worldwide network of emissaries with the experience and operational capabilities of ZAKA’s International Unit.
The launch event was attended by ZAKA CEO Dubi Weissenstern, Deputy Director of Operations Chaim Weingarten, ZAKA Board Member Kobi Ginzburg, ZAKA International Unit Commander Yossi Landau, ZAKA Europe Commander Nachman Dickstein and ZAKA’s U.S. representatives Yaakov Landau and Moshe Rozenberg.
The new ZAKA-Chabad Unit brings together two of the Jewish world’s longest-established humanitarian and assistance organizations, combining Chabad’s extensive presence in Jewish communities worldwide with ZAKA’s operational experience responding to disasters, terrorist attacks, missing-person cases and complex emergencies.
Chabad emissaries often serve as the first, and sometimes only, point of contact for Jews facing emergencies far from home, providing immediate assistance, supporting families and coordinating with local authorities. ZAKA, which holds recognized status at the United Nations, operates internationally at disaster sites and emergency incidents in coordination with local authorities and international emergency response organizations.
The new unit will provide Chabad emissaries with professional training, operational resources and access to ZAKA’s specialized emergency response capabilities, strengthening their ability to assist Jewish communities and travelers during crises.
Training will include emergency first response, search and rescue, disaster victim recovery and preserving the dignity of the deceased, along with professional and halachic guidance. The initiative will also establish procedures for coordinating with local authorities and deploying response teams, with ZAKA’s International Unit providing operational support, trained personnel and specialized equipment when necessary.
“I welcome and encourage this important initiative to establish a joint unit of Chabad emissaries and ZAKA, which will provide significant assistance to Jews around the world in times of crisis,” said Merkos L’Inyonei Chinuch Executive Director Rabbi Mendy Kotlarsky. “Combining Chabad’s worldwide network of emissaries with ZAKA’s experience and professional capabilities represents a significant development for Jewish communities. This collaboration will make it possible to provide rapid, professional assistance to Jews facing emergencies, even in the most remote locations around the world.”
“Over the course of decades, ZAKA’s International Unit has accumulated extensive experience responding to natural disasters and complex emergencies around the world,” said ZAKA Search & Rescue CEO Dubi Weissenstern. “Our organization’s recognition at the United Nations and the operational experience we have gained enable us to operate at disaster sites in different countries. Now, by combining our capabilities with Chabad’s worldwide network of emissaries, we will be able to expand our emergency response and reach every Jew, wherever they may be, to extend a helping hand in times of crisis, save lives and preserve the dignity of the deceased.”
The ZAKA-Chabad Unit will operate under the spiritual guidance of Rabbi Yoram Ulman, the Rebbe’s emissary in Sydney, Australia, while operational activities will be commanded by Yossi Landau, Commander of ZAKA’s International Unit.
Founded to honor the dead in accordance with religious tradition, ZAKA Search & Rescue has evolved into a full-scale emergency response network, staffed by more than 4,000 trained volunteers operating 24/7 across Israel to honor the dead, aid the living and bring dignity in times of devastation. Today, it operates a wide range of units — from rapid medical response and urban search and rescue to water recovery and culturally sensitive burial teams serving Israel’s Jewish, Bedouin, Arab and Druze communities. Across Israel and the globe, ZAKA Search & Rescue responds to disasters, terror attacks, accidents and other emergencies to ensure dignity, sensitivity and care for victims and their families. For more information, visit: https://zakaworld.org/
