I volunteered in Ukraine when Russia invaded and in Israel when Hamas attacked. In Ukraine, I saved lives. In Israel, I collected bodies.

Thu, 11/02/2023 - 19:18

side-by-side photos of Valerie Dyksztejn volunteering in Ukraine and in Israel — Valerie Dyksztejn volunteered with ZAKA in both Ukraine (left) when Russia invaded in February 2022 and in Israel (right) when Hamas attacked last month.
Courtesy of Valerie Dyksztejn

Valerie Dyksztejn is a Ukrainian-Israeli woman and volunteer with Jewish rescue organization ZAKA.
Dyksztejn was living in Kyiv when Russia invaded and vacationing in Israel when Hamas attacked.
She said she helped save lives in Ukraine. But there were no happy endings in Israel.

This as-told-to story is based on a conversation with Valerie Dyksztejn, a 43-year-old Ukrainian-Israeli woman who was living in Kyiv when Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022 and was vacationing in Israel when Hamas attacked in October.