A 29-year-old Jerusalem resident, a Chabad Chassid from the Tchernobyl community who held British citizenship, was killed in a serious car crash in Chisinau, Moldova. The fatal accident took place abroad, and the news was delivered to his family, who received it with shock and deep grief.
Immediately after the incident, ZAKA’s international hotline received a report and volunteers began emergency efforts with local Moldovan authorities, the family in Israel, and the Jewish community in Chisinau. Their focus is on handling the crash scene and advancing the required bureaucratic steps so the body can be brought to Israel for burial as quickly as possible.
The Israeli Foreign Ministry has joined the effort and is coordinating with ZAKA to overcome the legal and logistical obstacles involved in releasing the body from Moldova and flying it to Israel. The article says such cases require sensitive diplomatic work, especially in Eastern Europe, where local law can involve complicated autopsy procedures that ZAKA often seeks to prevent in order to preserve the deceased’s dignity according to Jewish law.
ZAKA Europe commander Nachman Dikstein, who is handling the case, said a special command center was opened as soon as the report arrived. He said volunteers are supporting the family throughout the process, gathering evidence at the scene, and doing everything possible to speed up the transfer for burial in the Holy Land. The man's name and the funeral date have not yet been finalized.
