Jerusalem – As Jews worldwide daven for the safe return of Aron Sofer, Israeli officials continue their full scale search for the missing 23 year old yeshiva student.
Subscribe to our Daily Roundup Email
Sofer’s parents, Rabbi Menashe Tzvi and Chulda Sofer, met with Jerusalem’s chief of police today to discuss the massive search operation.
“There is a lot more involved here than anyone can imagine,” Yanky Meyer of Misaskim, who traveled from New York to Jerusalem to assist in the search, told VIN News. “The army is involved here, the Shin Bet – there are teams here from all parts of the country looking at all the options, from getting lost in the woods to the very worst. They are not leaving any stone unturned.”
According to Meyer, Israeli officials have been tapping sources that are well embedded in Arab villages but so far their efforts have been fruitless.
A video released today by Israeli police show Sofer getting on and off the train last Friday on his way to the Jerusalem Forest where he disappeared. It was the last official sighting of the Lakewood resident who is currently studying at Yeshivas Kodshim, Rabbi Tzvi Kaplan’s yeshiva.
“There are no solid leads to go on here,” said Meyer. “There have been undercover police officers going to shuls all over the country, from as far away as Tzefas and Ashdod, looking for him.”
Sofer’s parents made an emotional plea for their son’s safe return yesterday, announcing a reward of 100,000 NIS, as previously reported on VIN News.
A crowdfunding campaign launched at the request of the Sofer family through Chesed of Lakewood has raised over $38,000 since Tuesday morning.
“We met with the family and they didn’t know how they were going to raise the money they needed,” said Aaron Klein, a volunteer at Chesed of Lakewood. “All money raised will be going directly to the Sofer family, for reward money and for search expenses included printing and hanging posters, bussing volunteers to search sites and possibly hiring private investigators.”
One source who wished to remain anonymous described Sofer as a “very eidel boy” and said that fifty bochurim left the yeshiva during first seder today, the first day of the new zman, to continue the search for Sofer.
“We are all hoping and praying,” said Meyer. “I don’t believe his parents will be getting any sleep tonight.”
Ad Musai???
We all should pray, and make a נדר that we will help each other.
At the same time limit our children’s traveling to Eretz Yosroel alone.
Very fishy. All dressed up for shabbat according to the train picture and then goes hiking in the forest. No one wears a suit and tie with dress shoes to hike in the mud. What’s the real story?
Something is quite wrong here….look carefully at the photo at the train station. This guy is NOT dressed for a day of hiking in the forest….he looks like he is dressed for shul on Shabbos….
How blinded we are
Nebech
And to omit
The divine message
Of how important it is
To
Be cognizant of the mitzvah
And responsibility
That hashem endowed us –with
ושמרתם מאד לנפשותיכם
And not to neglect this mitzvah
And
וחי בהם
H”KBH has to protect you and watch over you wherever you are. Bad things happen on all the continents.
It is our tefila that H”KBH brings this episode to a happy ending.
For those that think he was dressed up for Shabbos are showing that they don’t have a real understanding of the Chareidi Yeshiva Bochur. This is how he dresses every day and I am sure he thought that going for a short hike, in not such muddy terrain does not need special foot gear. (and please can you also admit that people make mistakes – an innocent boy who has no experience in this area.)
You don’t know how many other hundreds of bochurim went hiking in this forest looking exactly like him but nothing happened to them boruch Hashem. Stop looking for something to pin the blame to.