Testimony Excerpt
ZAKA volunteer Nurit Irene Cohn: It took five months before the first tears came
The Full Testimony
Testimony of
Nurit Irene Cohn
Nurit (Irene) Cohn, a social worker, is one of only ten women volunteering with ZAKA, an ultra-Orthodox nonprofit organization whose mission is to collect bodies and every fragment of human remains from scenes of unnatural death.
After accompanying a family who lost their daughter in combat on October 7, Nurit joined ZAKA crews operating in the Gaza Envelope. She recounts horrific scenes—bodies that had been brutalized, human remains scattered on ceilings and walls, and the ashes of people burned alive.
When that mission concluded, Nurit took on a new role: serving as an English-speaking representative of the area to visiting delegations. She regards this as another calling—to raise global awareness of the horror and cruelty perpetrated by Hamas.
Nurit also joined hostage family representatives on delegations abroad. Together with fellow volunteers from ZAKA’s scuba unit, she helped create an underwater memorial in remembrance of the victims.
In recognition of her dedication, Nurit was honored to light a torch at Israel’s 76th Independence Day ceremony.
Many ZAKA volunteers who served in the Gaza Envelope required psychological support after working amid the massacre sites. To address this, ZAKA recently established a resilience unit, where Nurit now volunteers as well, offering emotional support to her fellow responders.
Place of the event:
Gaza Envelope Area
Name:
Nurit Irene Cohn
Organization:
ZAKA
Language:
English
Credit:
Videography: Tali Dorai
Interview: Dori Sella
Video editing: Naama Gawi
Content editing: irit oren
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