ACTIVISM

Yossi Landau

Humanitarian

Yossi Landau — the head of operations for the southern region of Zaka, Israel's volunteer civilian emergency service organization — was one of the first humanitarian workers to witness the devastation and bloodshed wrought by the Oct 7. Hamas onslaught against Israel. Zaka's job is to collect every part of the remains of the dead, including their blood, so that they can be buried in accordance with Jewish religious law. His organization is called on to deal with the most traumatic events, including natural disasters, suicides from buildings, and terrorism. In his 33 years with Zaka, Landau said he had never witnessed such scenes of carnage. "I felt that I'm falling apart, not only me, my whole crew," he recalled, fighting back tears, after entering and finding a dead woman. "Her stomach was ripped open, a baby was there, still connected with the cord, and stabbed," said Landau. He later reflected, "We just take our feelings, with our job, and we separate it. And that's what we have to do." (Photo: YouTube screenshot)