This is how 25 soldiers and civilians were buried during the war: Behind the scenes of a halachic decision

Following the Iron Sword War, which has been going on for about a year and eight months on several fronts, during which hundreds of IDF soldiers have fallen and hundreds of civilians have been murdered, the Military Rabbinate was required to act in an unusual and unusual reality.

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Due to the brutal nature of the fighting, and especially due to the severe massacre at the Nova Festival and in the settlements surrounding Gaza, cases arose in which an immediate decision was required on the question of the Jewishness of those killed and murdered, in order to bury them in a Jewish grave - according to Jewish law and with due respect.

Unlike normal investigation procedures, which are usually conducted when the applicant is alive and presents documents and evidence on his behalf, this time the professionals were required to act quickly, sometimes within a few hours, in situations where it was not possible to use the usual channels.

Under the direction of the President of the Great Rabbinical Court, Rishon LeZion Rabbi David Yosef - with a prolonged, professional effort and with a sense of mission, in-depth work was conducted around the clock, using unconventional means: searches in civilian and security databases, checks in archives abroad, cross-checks with Ministry of Interior records, as well as collaborations with 'Nativ' - the former Liaison Office.

Thanks to close cooperation between the Military Rabbinate and the Judaism Clarification Division in the Rabbinical Courts, and with the halachic backing of the Chief Rabbinate Council, it was possible to bring about 25 martyrs to the Jewish grave - fighters who fell in battle and civilians who were brutally murdered - and receive the last honors they deserve, in accordance with Jewish law and heritage.

Director of the Rabbinical Courts, Rabbi Eli Ben Dahan: "In difficult times for the people of Israel, we found a mission in fulfilling the commandment of bringing the dead for burial in a Jewish grave. We are grateful for the privilege of cooperating and bringing rest to the precious souls who were bereaved."