Vered Atzmon Meshulam, Head of Resilience at ZAKA, and the chair of One Resilience, speaking at the Jerusalem Post online conference, “A Nation in Trauma,” said that ZAKA will be establishing a dedicated resilience center for ZAKA volunteers and their families that will be built on innovation, trauma-informed care, and deep spiritual strength. “Those who serve the dead with dignity,” said Atzmon Meshulam, “deserve a sacred space for them to heal.”
She said that the sights that she saw at the Shura base after October 7, where the remains of those murdered were brought, changed everything she knew both as a psychologist and as a person. “We weren’t dealing with trauma in theory anymore,” said Atzmon Meshulam. “We were standing inside of it, walking between burned remains, wounded bodies, and families, identifying their beloved ones in a heartbreaking silence. Meeting Zaka volunteers – a community I had never encountered before – opened my eyes and heart to the healing power of devotion and their spiritual strength and quiet peace. It made a deep impression on me, and it made me realize how mutual responsibility is not just a concept – it’s a living truth of the Jewish people.”
Atzmon Meshulam added that she has developed an in-house emotional support program for ZAKA volunteers that combines psychological science with spiritual tools from Jewish tradition, such as prayer, song, guided imagery, writing, and meaning-based reflection. These support programs are utilized in two-day retreat programs conducted by ZAKA for its members, together with emotional processing that integrates movement, silence, verbal expression, and meaning-making techniques.
Written in collaboration with ZAKA