Rabbi Amar helps lay the cornerstone for ZAKA's new headquarters
Rabbi Amar helps lay the cornerstone for ZAKA's new headquartersShlomi Cohen

The ZAKA emergency response organization on Sunday a held festive ceremony in Jerusalem, laying the cornerstone of the future ZAKA World Headquarters.

The new headquarters will provide the volunteer search and rescue organization with a purpose-built building that will serve as the nerve center for ZAKA’s humanitarian operations in Israel and around the world.

Participating in the ceremony were Ashkenazic Chief Rabbi David Lau, Jerusalem Rabbi Shlomo Moshe Amar, Construction and Housing Minister Yoav Galant (Likud), Construction and Housing Ministry Director-General Hagai Reznik, Jerusalem Deputy Mayor Yosef Deutsch, members of the city council, and ZAKA rabbis and volunteers.

Eduardo and Jovita Cojab, major donors to the ZAKA World Headquarters building, came specially from Mexico to attend the ceremony.

Rabbi Lau praised the Cojab family, noting that "ZAKA is an organization whose essence is caring for everyone, not only in life but also after death. This headquarters, that will be built here in East Jerusalem, will be a source of light around the world. We hope that you will not have a lot of work, but if you do, may you be able to help others in need and distress "

Rabbi Amar praised the many and varied activities of ZAKA, noting that "inherent in the act of establishing these headquarters is the act of saving souls, not only for the people of Israel but for all the nations of the world. Therefore, your work is doubly important."

"The world stands upon three things: upon Torah, upon divine service, and upon acts of kindness," Galant said. "ZAKA volunteers are involved in the highest form of chesed (kindness), as the dead are unable to repay acts of kindness. When I look at the work you are doing in the organization, and these are things that I am very familiar from my time as a Major General in the army as an aide to [former Prime Minister Ariel] Arik Sharon, I know that this requires an emotional strength that is not available to everyone. In contrast to other rescue organizations, I hope that you have the least amount of work."

"The State of Israel will no longer be able to live with and accept terror against Jews. We will pursue anyone wherever he is, even at the farthest corner of the world, and bring him alive to court or dead, for burial in a cemetery."

Concluding his speech, Galant praised ZAKA Founder and Chairman Yehuda Meshi-Zahav for his sacred work on behalf of the people of Israel.

Meshi-Zahav, who attended the ceremony, thanked the donors, Eduardo and Jovita Cojab, who came especially from Mexico to lay the cornerstone of the global headquarters tobe established in memory of Elias Kochav Parka ben Frieda z”l.

The ceremony concluded with the signing of the charter and the laying of the cornerstone by the Rabbis and dignitaries.

Laying the cornerstone for ZAKA's new headquarters
Laying the cornerstone for ZAKA's new headquartersShlomi Cohen