After an intensive diplomatic effort that lasted nearly two days, the body of the young Chernobyler chossid, Reb Akiva Rand z”l, who was tragically killed in a car accident near Kishinev, has been released by Moldovan authorities and is expected to be flown to Eretz Yisroel aboard a specially chartered private aircraft before Shabbos for burial. The development brought enormous relief to the grieving family and the many chassidim who had anxiously awaited the outcome.

Sources said that immediately after news of the tragedy emerged, members of ZAKA and its International Division launched an intensive campaign to prevent an autopsy and avoid unnecessary delays in releasing the body. The possibility of kavod hameis being compromised and the burial being postponed weighed heavily on the devastated family.

Senior askanim soon joined the effort. Leading the operation were Chabad shluchim Mendy Axelrod and Schneur Tiefenbrun, who worked around the clock for days to enable the body to be released. Their time, effort and resources made it all happen.

Also involved was Motty Babchik, who enlisted the assistance of Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar, Israel’s highest diplomatic channels were activated in negotiations with the Moldovan government. Working closely together, Babchik and Sa’ar pressed officials in Kishinev until authorities finally agreed to release the body.

Volunteers from ZAKA’s International Division remained at the accident scene, ensuring that the deceased was treated with the utmost dignity while carefully recovering all necessary remains so that he could be brought to kever Yisroel in accordance with halachah.

From the outset, Israel’s Foreign Ministry, the Israeli Embassy in Moldova, and ZAKA’s International Division coordinated the response, assisting the family while simultaneously working to secure the release of the body. Although Moldovan authorities initially demanded that an autopsy be performed, ZAKA ultimately succeeded in preventing the procedure and obtaining permission for the body to be transported to Israel for burial.

Nachman Dickstein, commander of ZAKA Europe, praised the successful outcome, saying: “The efforts that continued for nearly two days concluded, with siyata d’Shmaya, successfully. I would like to thank the Foreign Ministry, the Israeli Embassy in Moldova, Chabad emissary in Moldova Rav Mendy Axel, and all those in Israel and Moldova who worked tirelessly around the clock until the mission was completed. Thanks to this cooperation, we were able to preserve Akiva’s dignity, prevent an autopsy, and bring him to kever Yisroel.”

Chaim Weingarten, ZAKA’s Deputy Director of Operations, added: “I would like to thank ZAKA Europe commander Nachman Dickstein for his professional and dedicated leadership, ZAKA’s legal department and its coordinator Michael Gutwin, Yossi Landau, ZAKA’s Lachish District operations officer, the volunteers of ZAKA’s International Division, and all of our partners in Israel and around the world. Special thanks to the askanim in the United States who worked with American government officials, including Rav Moshe Dovid Niederman (UJO Williamsburg), Rav Moshe Margaretten (Tzedek), and Zvi Gluck (Amudim), whose efforts contributed greatly to completing this mission. Thanks to everyone’s cooperation, all procedures were completed, Akiva’s body was released without an autopsy, and he will be brought to burial in Israel with the dignity he deserves.”

As previously reported, the olam hachassidus—and the Chernobyler chassidus in particular—was shaken by the tragic passing of Reb Akiva Rand, who was just 29 years old.

The fatal accident occurred while Reb Akiva was traveling with a group of chassidim to Moldova to visit the kever of the tzaddik Rav Yechiel Heshel of Krilovitz, whose yahrtzeit fell this week. While driving near Kishinev, Reb Akiva lost control of his vehicle, which veered off the road and plunged into a deep ravine. Emergency responders pronounced him dead at the scene, while the other passengers sustained injuries and were transported to a local hospital.

A native of London, Reb Akiva was the son of Reb Mordechai Dovid Rand, one of the prominent Chernobyler chassidim, and the son-in-law of Rav Yosef Mordechai Weiss, rav of the Machzikei HaDas community in Zurich. After his marriage, he settled in Yerushalayim, where he learned in Kollel Nachalas Akiva and devoted himself to mentoring bochurim at Yeshivas Kochav MiYaakov–Tchebin.

Friends described him as a gentle and refined ben Torah, deeply devoted to Torah and yiras Shomayim. For many years, he and his wife waited to be blessed with children before finally meriting three young children, who have now been left orphaned by this heartbreaking tragedy.

{Matzav.com}