By Rabbi Chaim Goldberg
As Israel marks the second anniversary of Hamas’ Simchat Torah massacre, the painful memories of that dark day are still fresh for many victims. Families continue to grieve their losses, and the nation remains traumatized by the unprecedented degree of violence. One aspect of the tragedy, however, has brought a sense of closure: the IDF Rabbinate’s painstaking efforts to identify 100% of the victims, a success rate unseen in Israel’s previous wars.
Hardly anyone can say they took part in identifying the victims of both the Yom Kippur War and the current war. Rabbi Yaakov Roza is such a person. Now 81 years old, on Oct. 7, 2023, he was called upon to again fulfill his role as one of Israel’s foremost experts in burial and victim identification. With decades of experience in the military rabbinate and as the rabbi of the Institute of Forensic Medicine in Abu Kabir, a satellite village of Jaffa, Roza was no stranger to this kind of work. But even with his extensive background, he made it known that the events of Oct. 7 presented a challenge unlike any he had faced before.
In the 24 hours after the Hamas-led massacre, hundreds of people were rushed to Shura Base in central Israel, where truckloads of bodies and body parts arrived for days on end. It became a temporary morgue.
Under the leadership of IDF Chief Military Rabbi Eyal Krim, the IDF Rabbinate shoulders the profound responsibility of identifying fallen soldiers with 100% accuracy and ensuring that each soldier is buried with the dignity they deserve. Needless to say, Hamas’ barbarism — burnt, mutilated and sexually abused victims — presented devastating and unique challenges. The complexity of these cases meant the identification unit was working overtime for months on end.
The IDF Rabbinate’s Identification and Burial Unit is comprised of experts from a wide variety of professions, including lawyers, forensic investigators, notaries, doctors, dentists and rabbinical judges. This diverse group ensures that decisions are valid from halachic (Jewish legal) and public perspectives — leaving no room for even the slightest oversight.
Looking back, the IDF Rabbinate’s work during those harrowing months in late 2023 was critical in helping families find peace amid the devastation. Nearly a year later, the process of identifying the victims finally came to an end, and now all of the remaining bodies have been laid to rest. However, the emotional toll of those months lingers.
“I still haven’t woken up from this nightmare,” Roza has said. The sheer volume of casualties, the condition of the bodies, and the complexities of identification weighed heavily on him and his team. Despite the challenges, they remained focused on maintaining professionalism and accuracy.
Technological advances in forensic science played a critical role in identifying the victims.
“We’re in a different era with advanced technological means,” Roza said. Despite the victims being brutalized in unprecedented ways, the IDF Rabbinate identified 100% of the cases. DNA testing, biometric databases and other forensic tools allowed for a level of precision that was impossible in previous conflicts.
Yet for the families waiting for confirmation, the process felt agonizingly slow. Roza understood their pain and did everything he could to explain the need for accuracy. “There are no compromises on this issue,” he said, emphasizing that DNA extraction could take hours and, in some cases, had to be repeated.
Even when several signs pointed to a match, the team refused to make a determination unless every piece of evidence aligned perfectly.
As we mark the second anniversary of the massacre, the heroic efforts of the IDF Rabbinate stand as a testament to the power of dedication, compassion and professionalism in the face of unimaginable tragedy. Their work helped bring a sense of resolution to hundreds of grieving families, offering them the comfort of knowing that their loved ones were treated with the utmost respect.
For Roza, the emotional impact of the work will likely never fade.
“Our injury is in the soul,” he stated, acknowledging deep psychological scars that come from bearing witness to such devastation. Yet as the country remembers the victims of Simchat Torah 2023, his commitment to ensuring the dignity of the dead remains a source of strength and healing for a nation still in mourning. ■
Rabbi Chaim Goldberg is serving as a reservist in the IDF Rabbinate. In civilian life, he works as a psychologist for the Dead Sea Regional Council.
