Op-Ed: Haredi leaders must speak out against zealots

31-Jan-12

JERUSALEM (JTA) -- The recent violence in Beit Shemesh and Jerusalem’s Mea Shearim neighborhood has led me to speak out against the so-called "sikrikim" in the harshest possible terms, equating their actions to terrorism. Sikrikim is the name given to a fringe anti-Zionist vigilante group, loosely linked to Neturei Karta and said to have been at the head of many of the recent violent attacks against innocent Israelis. In my mind, there is a dangerous similarity in their actions and those of Islamist terrorists. And I do not use this comparison lightly -- as the founder of the ZAKA rescue and ... more

ZAKA: Going To The Ends Of Earth To Honor The Dead

30-Jan-12

Over the last two weeks, the ZAKA International Rescue Unit has assisted bereaved families in ensuring a full Jewish burial for their loved ones – be it Fiji or France, Australia or Zimbabwe. Overcoming hurdles that included bureaucracy, lack of diplomatic relations and local traditions and burial rites, the Jerusalem-based, UN-recognized volunteer organization left no stone unturned in its mission to honor the dead in accordance with the Jewish religion. When an Israeli woman was killed in a car accident in the Fiji Islands, ZAKA Founder and Chairman Yehuda Meshi-Zahav managed to locate a Jewish friend of the Fiji Army’s Chief ... more

Haredi Volunteer Organization ZAKA Establishes An Inter-Religious Forum In The North With The Participation Of Rabbis, Qadis, Sheikhs, Priests And Imams And Under The Slogan "ZAKA - Bridging Worlds"

4-Jan-12

Against the current background of tensions between extremist sections of the haredi world and the wider community, ZAKA, the haredi life-saving, rescue and recovery volunteer organization, yesterday (4 Jan 2012) established an inter-religious forum of religious leaders from the various denominations and religions in the North of Israel, under the slogan “ZAKA: Bridging Worlds”. Religious leaders, including Rabbis, Qadis, Sheikhs, Priests and Imams, signed a declaration of cooperation, issuing a joint call to members of their respective communities to join ZAKA as volunteers, receive training in life-saving, rescue and recovery techniques and ensure the respect of both the living and ... more