A delegation of eight ZAKA International Rescue Unit volunteers left Israel on Monday morning 10 Nissan to assist in the search and recovery mission at the site of the Germanwings plane crash in the French Alps. ZAKA volunteers will offer their extensive experience and expertise in international search and recovery missions to the local search teams.

In particular, the ZAKA volunteers will work to recover, identify and bring the remains of Israeli Eyal Baum to a full Jewish burial in Israel. Lufthansa, the parent company of Germanwings, agreed to the request of the Baum family to bring a ZAKA delegation from Israel to assist in the recovery operation. ZAKA volunteers have been on standby to fly out to the crash scene since offering their assistance last week.

The team will be led by ZAKA International Rescue Unit head Mati Goldstein and ZAKA International Rescue Unit Chief of Operations Chaim Weingarten.

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)