ZAKA Search & Rescue volunteers are entering 2026 with a renewed focus on training and preparedness, conducting intensive disaster exercises alongside the IDF Home Front Command. The drills test volunteers’ skills in search and rescue, casualty extraction, operation of specialized equipment, and multi-agency coordination under pressure, preparing responders for both the rescue of the living and the dignified recovery of the deceased.

“Training is the foundation of everything we do,” said ZAKA CEO Dubi Weissenstern. “Our volunteers must be ready not only to save lives but also to honor those who have passed. Every exercise ensures we respond with professionalism, precision, and compassion, giving families a measure of closure in their darkest moments.”

ZAKA’s dual mission is central to its training philosophy. Volunteers practice rapid response to emergencies, from car accidents to collapsed buildings to mass-casualty events, while also emphasizing Kavod Hameis, the dignified handling of human remains in accordance with Jewish faith and tradition. These exercises ensure that victims are treated with respect, and that families can trust their loved ones are cared for when they cannot be present.

“What we do in drills translates directly to how we respond to real-life emergencies,” said ZAKA Vice President of Operations Chaim Weingarten. “Working alongside the IDF Home Front Command allows our volunteers to integrate and operate seamlessly alongside Israel’s emergency services, ensuring that both lives and the dignity of the deceased are protected when every second matters.”

Beyond its drills for volunteers in Israel, ZAKA is expanding its awareness and training programs for U.S. law enforcement leaders. It continues to offer its Kavod Hameis Awareness Seminar nationwide and, in early 2026, will host a more intensive program in Israel for senior law enforcement officials, homicide investigators, and medical examiners. These courses help U.S. agencies understand the religious and cultural needs of the Jewish community in fatal incidents while integrating these considerations into investigative practices.

“By sharing our expertise with U.S. agencies, we help investigators across the United States to better understand the unique customs surrounding Jewish fatalities,” said ZAKA U.S. Executive Director Moshe Rozenberg. “We showcase how Israel has integrated these customs into its emergency and investigative practices and discuss what can be adapted in their own jurisdictions.”

“Every drill, every training session, every partnership matters,” Weissenstern added. “We are investing in preparedness today so that when disaster strikes tomorrow, our volunteers and partners are ready to save lives and honor those who have passed.”

Founded to honor the dead in accordance with religious tradition, ZAKA has evolved into a full-scale emergency response network, with over 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 search and rescue to water recovery to culturally sensitive burial teams serving Israel’s Jewish, Bedouin, Arab and Druze communities to international units deploying at a moment’s notice to crises across the globe.

For more information, visit: https://zakaworld.org/.

Photos: ZAKA Search & Rescue