17:34: Zaka, Ichud Hatzalah and other volunteers are continuing the search at this time. It appears that another command center will be established on Tuesday. It is unclear if this is in addition to or in place of the one shut down in the Beit Zayit area.
ORIGINAL REPORT
The command center has been shut down and the search may be called off for missing Lakewood yeshiva bochur, 23-year-old Aaron Sofer, who disappeared in the Jerusalem Forest on erev Shabbos.
The Beit Zayit area command center that was established to coordinate the search has been shut down. The search which began over Shabbos may not be continuing.
Police will be meeting with relevant agencies at 14:00 at which time a decision is expected as how to proceed.
When asked to comment, Israel Police officials announce the search continues.
(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
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23 Responses
“The Command Center closed?!?!”
Was he found? Is he okay? Have they heard from him?Do they suspect he’s somewhere else?
What is the meaning?
There’s a missing link?
Any evidence of the bochur found? Clues or calls? Why did searches begin so late if Ahron got lost at ONE PM?
What does it mean the search will not be continuing and then the police say the search continues? Already giving up? That’s what they’d do if it were their child missing?
They don’t stop the search so soon when the missing person is not charedi.
It means that they have no real leads and can’t sustain the level of personnel with nothing to go on. It doesn’t mean they won’t continue to search. The article said that they are meeting to determine how to proceed.
Missing person searches are not so simple.
Was he kidnapped ?
BarryLS1, I understand the idea of “meeting to determine how to proceed”, but what does it mean search center “closed”. Maybe downsize; leave one person manning a phone; whatever. What does it mean “closed”?
Hey chevrah, it just means that the search of yeshiva guys searching wood is no longer relevant, and they’re looking into soldiers looking in arab houses…
I saw a news item last night that Rav Chaim Kanievski, shlita, was asking for everyone to say Tehillim on the bochur’s behalf.
I don’t understand the situation here. Is there a possibility that there’s foul play here RL, or did he simply get lost & they just can’t find him?
The language used for these press releases is generally a “code”. It appears likely that they are discontinuing the search in the area where the bochur disappeared, but they are continuing to search for him elsewhere. This was the same in the search for the three boys earlier this summer. They may have information that the bochur has been taken to another location. Or worse, chas v’shalom.
They never give up searching for a missing person in Israel, whether they be chareidi or otherwise.
Perhaps this situation became out of the jurisdiction of the local police. Maybe the army has to take over at this point.
The situation is getting scary
Por: “I saw a news item last night that Rav Chaim Kanievski, shlita, was asking for everyone to say Tehillim on the bochur’s behalf.”
Pretty sad Rav Chaim has to tell us to be mispallel.
Agree with sueinjeru. The search will have moved on to another location, not been called off.
The area in the immediate vicinity of the bochur’s disappearance will have been well covered by now, if hundreds if people have been involved in a coordinated search for what is now three whole days. I lived in that area and I am sure most readers are also very familiar with it; it’s hard to imagine an intense search taking many days or weeks. It’s not as if they have to comb inside all the neighborhoods as well as outdoors, because it’s a Jewish area. Not like looking for the three boys or anything like that.
Seems that his being in that area has been ruled out for now..not such good news.
Let us be positive and not point fingers with negativity.
#11- You and I know that they never give up looking for any person in Israel, but many posters here do not. They automatically assume it is an anti-chareidi issue, when it is not.
#17 yanky 55
You really feel internally the desire to blow even this into (an immunizing) anti charedi sentiment ?
Goodness
#18- Clearly, you did not read all the posts. See #s 3 and 4 and then you can apologize for whatever it is you were trying to say (I’m not quite sure….”immunizing”??)
Stop bickering over semantics or opining over the searching skills of the mishtara and start davening for the safe return of Aharon ben Chulda. These petty squabbles are one of the reasons Moshiach isn’t here yet.
From someone that was standing in the spot he was last seen the whole story sounds very weird. Betzayit is just beneath the spot maybe a ten minute walk. Harnof is right across the mountain and har hertzel/bayit vegan is right above that spot.if someone would get lost he has many directions that are in full sight to choose from. He was standing next to a dirt road that leads right out of the forest he could have also taken that way out. The police searched on shabbos with dogs and helicopters if he was there they would have found him. Once the bochurim came in on sunday the dogs are useless. The bochurim searched every inch of the surrounding area many many times the police are 100 percent sure he is not there. The only place left to check is deeper into the forest which is huge, the police were only looking to see if he fell into some hole or pool in the immediate area. They checked the rest of the forest with dogs and helicopters and feel there is a no chance he is deeper in. There are ram-kols going around yerushalayim asking for people to come to the busses at 6:30am to help continue the search. It seems like Zakka and Hatzolah are going to be running the search. I think there is a something here the police are trying to hide since its a time of war and that’s why the story is kept off of the large news stations. They have no problem writing articles on ten kids lighting a dumpster in meah shearim. All I can say that if it was a soldier missing things would look much different. There would be a lot more than a tent with a few cops and the frummies doing all the work.
i kind of have a feeling that when Reb Chaim, shlita, was quoted, he wasn’t suggesting that perhaps it would be a good idea to pick up a Tehillim. My guess is that he was saying that there was still what to be mispallel for….
I’m praying for him, may he be okay and come back to his family soon B’H
May Hashem protect Am Yisrael
We have, this Elul, an opportunity to really make a difference. One of the things i personally feel we can always improve on is shemiras haloshon and respecting each other
May redemption come soon