IDF Rabbinate Official Recounts Harrowing Task of Identifying Oct. 7 Victims

Three years after the October 7th massacre, Lieutenant Colonel Rabbi Oudi Schwartz, head of the Halakha Department in the Military Rabbinate, has shared his experiences dealing with the immense tragedy. In an interview with Channel 7, Schwartz described the difficult scenes at the Shura Camp, the heavy responsibility of determining the fate of hostages, and the moments he had to inform families of their loved ones' deaths. He stated that the images from the first 48 hours of the war at Shura Camp remain deeply etched in his memory, even three years later.

Schwartz recounted receiving the first call on the morning of October 7th, asking for a halakhic ruling on mobilizing all Air Force rabbis. This was followed by a constant stream of calls regarding emergency enlistment, Shabbat observance, equipment, and reservists. By the end of the holiday, he was at Shura Camp, which he described as a place of profound sorrow that has since become a site of reverence.

His unit was tasked with operating the "decision-making system" for the final identification of fallen soldiers and victims. Every coffin leaving the camp had to be approved by his team, ensuring absolute certainty to avoid misidentifying casualties. This involved using all available identification methods, including fingerprints, DNA tests, dental records, and intelligence information. Despite the professional rigor, Schwartz acknowledged the immense human toll, stating that no one worked like a robot and that their actions were ultimately for the sake of the families.

The most challenging moments, he said, were not in the identification labs but in the farewell rooms, where he held the hands of grieving parents and siblings, accompanying them in their final moments. He emphasized that their duty extended beyond identification to providing families with complete certainty.

A particularly heavy burden was determining the status of hostages who did not return. According to law, the Chief Rabbi of the IDF can declare a person dead even without a body, a decision with immense halakhic, familial, and national implications. Schwartz explained that his teams worked with intelligence and medical experts, and even with 95-98% certainty of death, they waited for absolute confirmation before informing families, sometimes for over a year.

He described approaching families not as a representative of the Rabbinate or the army, but as a human being offering comfort during their darkest hour. Schwartz found a sense of closure when the last of the abducted hostages were brought for burial in Israel, fulfilling a promise to the families and completing a moral and ethical obligation. Looking forward, he expressed hope that Israel would emerge stronger from the grief and mourning, stating, "The people of Israel live. The eternity of Israel will not lie nor be comforted."