Two Elderly Israelis Found Dead Alone After Holiday: ZAKA Warns of Isolation Crisis

On the evening following the Shavuot holiday, June 1, 2025, ZAKA volunteers were called to an apartment in the ultra-Orthodox city of Modiin Illit, where they found a man in his sixties deceased. His family, unable to reach him by phone after the holiday, alerted emergency services, who broke into the apartment and confirmed his death on-site. The man, who lived alone, was laid to rest the next day in a funeral attended by many local residents paying their final respects, according to ZAKA’s statement. Shlomo Gottlieb, commander of ZAKA’s Modiin Illit unit, who handled the scene, emphasized the dangers of isolation, stating, “Such incidents highlight how perilous loneliness can be. We must check on neighbors, invite a lonely person for a holiday meal, or make a call, a small check-in can save lives.”

In a separate incident on June 2, ZAKA volunteers discovered the body of an 86-year-old woman in her apartment in Bnei Ayish, found in an advanced state of decomposition. The woman, who had no immediate family, was located after hours of meticulous work by ZAKA’s Lachish region team to collect evidence and ensure her dignity, per ZAKA’s report. Simcha Rozenbaum, a volunteer, described the case as “heart-wrenching,” noting, “This was a difficult case of an elderly woman who passed away alone. Together with my fellow volunteers, we ensured her dignity and gathered extensive evidence.”

These tragedies underscore the growing issue of elderly isolation in Israel, where over 15% of those aged 65 and older live alone, per Israel’s Central Bureau of Statistics. Community leaders have called for increased outreach programs, like those run by Yad Sarah, to support vulnerable seniors. The incidents also highlight ZAKA’s critical role in responding to such cases with sensitivity, amid ongoing national grief over losses in Gaza, where 58 hostages remain.