It took five days but with Siyata Dishmaya Zaka officials in Haifa were successful, preventing an autopsy of a nifteres. Assisting Zaka was city councilman Rabbi Michoel Alper.

The event began last Thursday, 12 Tammuz 5773 when the body of a woman was discovered in her home in the Hadar area of Haifa. Due to the findings in the home, police decided an autopsy was required to rule out any criminal activity. The family immediately contacted Rav Alper’s office for assistance.

Zaka Northern District legal advisor R’ Yisrael Shlumai became involved when it became clear police officials were insisting on an autopsy. Police turned to the court for permission to do an autopsy without notifying Shlumai, Zaka or the family of the hearing. Police received permission for an autopsy on Friday since no one present objected.

Shlumai told police when learning of the court order that it is invalid since it was based on one side only, demanding another hearing. Rav Anshel Friedman, Chief Rabbi of the Israel Police Northern District intervened, freezing the situation pending a second court hearing. Friedman was aware the body was already transferred to the Abu Kabir Forensic Institute, but he did not back down.

Alper managed to get the court to agree to a hearing on motzei Shabbos, to be held in the Haifa Magistrate Court. There was a technical glitch since the law demands the judge who approved the autopsy must approve the next hearing. Hence, a hearing was set for Sunday morning to hear a request to release the body for immediate burial. Due to the many parties and opinions involved, that hearing was pushed off till Monday.

On Monday, the court heard from the family and Zaka and ruled to release the body without an autopsy for immediate kvura.

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)