It was shortly after 7:00PM when 17 people entered an elevator in the Belz Beis Medresh in Yerushalayim on erev Shabbos, with only minutes remaining to candle lighting. The doors closed but the elevator did not move. The 12 adults and 5 children were stuck inside.
They sounded the alarm, but apparently, it was not heard as the large khal went to daven Mincha in the beis medresh. Only after it was realized that an elderly man in a wheelchair was missing was a search launched by family members, leading to the discovery of the stuck elevator.
The fire department was summoned, arriving in a number of minutes, and they succeeded in opening the elevator and freeing the passengers.
One of the persons stuck in the elevator told Ladaat that they realized after sometime that no one was hearing the alarm and the time for Mincha was passing, so they davened in the elevator. The person was quoted by Ladaat as saying that it was abundantly clear that no one heard the alarm, adding, “I do not even want to think what could have happened if a family member did not decide to begin looking for his missing relative.”
(Yechiel Spira – YWN Israel)
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11 Responses
B’H for the outcome, even though the Bells didn’t work in Belz.
They should consider putting Bells in the elevator in place of the present alarm system.
Dear Gabbai Rishon –
The Gabbai Sheini of Belz, in charge of its elevators, is known to be strictly against any internet usage. He does have a listed telephone though. Please do give him a call.
Yasher Koach
B”H all ended well. Maybe next time there should be louder bells in Belz.
To #3
They should consider putting Bells in the elevator…
Comment by Gabbai Rishon — June 22, 2008 @ 10:14 am
I doubt they can fit Belz in the elevator-ever saw the size of that thing?
Can you get a more recent picture? I think the one on top of this page is from before the construction was complete which is a bunch of years ago. Anyway, thanks for reporting a story with a happy ending.
I live next door to the huge Belze shul in Yerushalayim. Right after the zman, I saw a few fire trucks racing to the Belze parking lot. Since there was no sign or smell of smoke, I guessed it was an elevator problem. I was right! B”H they were rescued in a short amount of time.
Although elevators are equipped with ventilators for oxygen, it can be very frightening and claustrophobic to be stuck in a small room. Most cell phones don’t work in elevators, and we must ensure that the emergency buttons in the elevators are in perfect working order.
I’m frightend to think of what went thru their minds @ the time they were stuck…!!!
dear holyland
in times of stress you really cannot gauge the mind of the stressed out individual; however, if in a toubled environment, stuck elevators,street violence,theft, etc…., your always better off among chasidim the any other group!
I’m sure it wasen’t so frightening because they were able to be mechazek each other, but i just hpoe that there was enough air in there especially because of the old yid in the wheel chair
was there food in the elevator/?