The Ultra-Orthodox Man in Charge of the Icuhilov Morgue: "I Can't Get This Image Out of My Head"

Eliahu Ezra has been in charge of the morgue at Icuhilov Hospital for 28 years, yet most people who first hear what he does react with a mix of disbelief and fear. "People react with great aversion, as if the angel of death is standing before them," he shares. "Some even say to me: 'We hope not to see you, and not to meet you,' but the reactions don't end there."

Ezra, who oversees 38 refrigerators in the hospital's morgue, has heard it all. "Don't stand near me, don't sit next to me. They think I'm here to take them to the next world."

In an interview with Ynet, Ezra describes the refrigerators: "Here we have a bigger fridge meant for very large people who have passed away, so they can't fit in a standard compartment. We also have a freezer, and when family members want to see their deceased loved ones in the fridge, they come here for the identification, leading to reactions of crying and outbursts of apology... There was a sister who came, her brother had passed, and she apologized to him. She literally lay on the floor and apologized to him. I never ask what happened between them, but it's clear to me there was some sort of story."

"I open the fridge again and see the child dressed as Superman - it broke my heart"

Among the hardest cases Ezra has had to deal with are people who arrived at the morgue after being burned in attacks, including young people and children. "It's shocking. Truly shocking to see that. I'll never forget an extremely difficult case I had one Purim a few years ago, a child who was brought here in a Superman costume. I open the fridge again and see the child dressed as Superman - it broke my heart. It really broke my heart. Until today, that image stays with me all the time, I can't get it out of my head."

What has kept him in his job all these years, despite the emotional and mental challenges it poses? The sense of mission he feels. "I give a person their last help, the last respect left. It's a job with real self-sacrifice, a very challenging job. The first thing for me is to ensure swift burial, as it's an important commandment not to delay the burial of the deceased. I strive to make sure everything is wrapped, covered, and closed. They're not with me, but I know the deceased appreciates it."

During his remarks, Ezra shares about an unusual case of a large family that came to the place, a mother and her children who decided they wanted to take a picture with the deceased. "We took him out with the tray of the deceased, they lifted his upper body and took a photo with him. I was hurt by this as they disrespected the deceased."