It's now been more than four days since American yeshiva student Aharon Sofer went missing. His peers started returning to yeshiva last night, and will all be back in yeshiva by tomorrow. But Sofer, who by all indications is a serious student is nowhere to be found. There is a growing fear that Sofer was kidnapped by 'Palestinian' terrorists.
Soffer's family members expressed their great anxiety for his
welfare, an anxiety has been heightened by rumors that he may possibly
have been abducted. Three Israeli teens were abducted and murdered by
Hamas terrorists on June 12, and fears over potential copycat crimes
have remained since.
Those fears were heightened after the revenge killing of an
Arab youth soon after the murdered boys' funeral in July. Mohammed
Abu-Khder's body was discovered in the Jerusalem Forest the day after he
went missing.
In the last two days the police decided to involve the Israel
Security Agency (ISA) in the search for Soffer, after initial efforts
turned up no results.
Likewise members of ZAKA, a disaster rescue organization, have been
actively leading the search, aided by many dozens of volunteers. Also
part of the search is a jeep unit, ATVs (All-Terrain Vehicles), a canine
squad, all combing the area since Shabbat as yet to no avail.
"We don't know how to deal with this," a family member of the missing youth told Arutz Sheva.
"They tell us that there are fears for his life, and there still isn't
even a thread to go on, but what's driving us crazy are the rumors of an
abduction."
The family member noted on the war in Gaza and growing terror in the
Jerusalem area, adding "in days like these when there is tension about
security, this is the worst scenario that we could have imagined."
...
One of the sources helping in the search told Arutz Sheva that the danger to Soffer's life increases with each hour that passes, saying "each passing hour that he doesn't contact us raises the concern that he is unable to contact us. There is definitely a fear for his life. Therefore, we ask for the help of the public."
This does not sound like a kid who would just disappear. If you have information, please call the Jerusalem police at 02-5391520, or the 100 emergency police hotline.
This notice was sitting in my synagogue this morning (in multiple copies so that people could take them). Aaron Sofer, who has been missing since Friday, is still missing R"L. More details here.
23-year old American yeshiva student missing since Friday
Aaron Sofer, a 23-year-old yeshiva student, is missing in the Jerusalem area. He's my second cousin. http://t.co/tOrKQTfL9s. Please RT.
— Avi Mayer (@AviMayer) August 24, 2014
Avi Mayer is one of the more prominent social media presences in Israel.
If you click on the link, you will find a grainy picture of his cousin, who has been missing since going on a hike in the Jerusalem Forest on Friday. Anyone who knows of his whereabouts is urged to contact the Jerusalem police.
Soffer was last seen on Friday at 12 p.m. in the Jerusalem Forest;
his disappearance was announced by loudspeakers through various parts of
Jerusalem on Shabbat due to the very possible life-threatening danger
he may be in.
The missing youth is of a lean build, and is 1.75 meters (5'9'')
tall, has a short red beard and wears glasses. He was last seen wearing
black pants, a white shirt and a black kippah.
The police request the help of the public in locating the missing
youth, and ask anyone with any pertinent information to immediately
contact the Jerusalem Police at 02-5391520, or the 100 emergency police
hotline.
One of the sources helping in the search told Arutz Sheva that the danger to Soffer's life increases each hour that passes.
"We don't know where he disappeared to. While we want to believe the
he finished the forest path and went to one of the yeshivas or to an
apartment somewhere, each passing hour that he doesn't contact us raises
the concern that he is unable to contact us," noted the source.
"There is definitely a fear for his life," clarified the source. "Therefore, we ask for the help of the public."
You can study in yeshiva until you're 23... but only if it's a Zionist yeshiva
The Shaked Committee - headed by Ayelet Shaked - passed a law on Tuesday (which still has to pass the full Knesset) that will allow students to remain in yeshiva until age 23... but only if they're in a Zionist yeshiva.
The committee, which is tasked with creating a law on army service
for hareidi men, had decided that hareidi men should be allowed to study
in yeshiva prior to enlisting in the military, but should be required
to enlist by age 21.
Many committee members initially said the age-21 cut-off should apply
universally, meaning that long-term students in Zionist yeshivas would
be required to enlist at the same age. Shaked and others fought that
approach. Nearly all students in Zionist yeshivas do eventually enlist,
they said, and students at pro-enlistment schools should not be punished
for low enlistment rates at other yeshivas.
The students in question are learning about the importance of
enlistment in yeshiva, and therefore do not need the threat of sanctions
to motivate them, they argued.
The committee ultimately voted to accept an alternate proposal
according to which students at Zionist yeshivas will be allowed to delay
enlistment until age 23. A select group of 300 students will be allowed
to postpone enlistment until age 26.
...
A similar arrangement was proposed for hareidi yeshivas as well, despite
the fact that hareidi yeshivas do not encourage students to enlist in
the military. However, hareidi representatives rejected the proposal,
which would have included a commitment for all students to eventually
enlist.
I would tell you that the chances of that standing up to Supreme Court scrutiny are slim to none, but these days, one never knows.
Zionist yeshivas join in petition against funding cut
For those who think that it's only Haredi yeshivas that were affected by last week's Supreme Court ruling and Yair Lapid's 'law enforcement,' don't be so smug. A new petition to the Supreme Court is being prepared by Zionist yeshivas - many of whose students do serve in the army are joining the Haredi yeshivas in a new petition to the Supreme Court. They are arguing that the students should have been made a party to the case and that they too are severely affected by the funding cuts.
"The judges did not hear the voices of the people in their
decision," Attorney Betzalel Smotrich, legal counsel for the joint
effort, stated Sunday. "The factors and implications behind the move did
not take the people into account. This is in stark contrast to all of
the halakhot (Jewish laws) and all principles of justice."
"Hundreds of institutions and thousands of students are bound by a
harsh decision which affects them directly, yet they were not party to
the proceedings before the decision was made - even though there was
nothing preventing the court from allowing them to be present."
The Association of Zionist Yeshivas, the Association of Yeshiva
Administration and Torah Institutions, and the Association of Hesder
Yeshivas are behind the new motion, which asks the High Court to
reconsider the decision to stop funding of studies for students born in
1994, 1995, and the first half of 1996.
The three associations have asked that last week's decision be
cancelled and that the funding already cut for February as a result be
reinstated and transferred to the appropriate institutions.
Only then,
the petition claims, can the proceedings for the decision begin anew -
this time, with the affected parties involved in the decision-making
process.
The petition revealed that the ruling also significantly harmed
Zionist yeshivas, where the majority of students do participate in the
mandatory IDF draft. In addition, all students are affected at the
moment, and not just those born in the specified years.
The motion accuses the High Court of rushing a sensitive and complex
issue. The bill that is known as the Equal Burden of Service law, has
been moving through the Knesset for several months - but the court
decision failed to take into account the many complexities and
ramifications involved. The petitioners question why the decision was
made in haste, instead of letting the Knesset committees finish the
process.
Is the Supreme Court big enough to admit a mistake? Don't hold your breath. And by the way, there was no mistake on Yair Lapid's part. He aims to stifle all yeshivas and all Torah study in Israel. Like father, like son.
Here's a group of yeshiva boys from Michigan dancing on I-80 (I assume in New Jersey since that looks like New York's Channel 7) while stuck in a traffic jam in a snowstorm. I assume this was not a Friday.
I am an Orthodox Jew - some would even call me 'ultra-Orthodox.' Born in Boston, I was a corporate and securities attorney in New York City for seven years before making aliya to Israel in 1991 (I don't look it but I really am that old :-). I have been happily married to the same woman for thirty-five years, and we have eight children (bli ayin hara) ranging in age from 13 to 33 years and nine grandchildren. Four of our children are married! Before I started blogging I was a heavy contributor on a number of email lists and ran an email list called the Matzav from 2000-2004. You can contact me at: IsraelMatzav at gmail dot com
