Jooish

Avraham Moishe Kleinerman, the yeshiva bochur who vanished near Meron more than four and a half years ago, turned 21 on Friday, marking another painful milestone for a family that has spent 1,656 days desperately searching for answers about his disappearance.

Moishe, who went missing in the Meron area in 2022, has not been seen since, despite extensive searches and repeated efforts to uncover information about his whereabouts. His disappearance remains unresolved, leaving his parents and relatives without any definitive explanation of what happened to him.

As his birthday arrived, family members renewed their appeal to the public, asking anyone with information, however seemingly insignificant, to come forward and help bring an end to the painful uncertainty that has overshadowed their lives for nearly five years.

Moishe’s uncle, Chaim Henfling, spoke about the anguish his family has endured, describing the unimaginable pain of having a child disappear without knowing whether he is safe or what may have happened to him.

“Every father who has a child knows the terrible feeling of a child going missing, even for just a few minutes,” Henfling said. “There is a family here that has been struggling for four and a half years. There are no words to describe the grief experienced by his parents and family members since the disappearance of the person dearest to them.”

For the Kleinerman family, birthdays and other family milestones have become painful reminders of Moishe’s absence. The passage of time has brought no closure, and the family continues to hold on to the hope that information will emerge that could finally explain his disappearance.

Moishe was just 16 when he disappeared in March 2022 after traveling from his home in Modiin Illit to Meron, where he had gone to visit the kever of Rav Shimon bar Yochai. He was last seen in the area on March 25, and his disappearance subsequently prompted one of Israel’s most extensive searches for a missing bochur.

Over the years, police officers, search-and-rescue personnel, volunteers, and specialized canine teams have combed the mountainous terrain surrounding Meron, examining wooded areas, caves, ravines, and other difficult-to-reach locations.

Investigators have also examined surveillance footage, pursued information from witnesses, and explored leads beyond Israel. Despite the enormous effort, no conclusive evidence establishing Moishe’s fate has emerged.

Earlier this year, in February, the family met with Judea and Samaria District Police Commander Moshe Pinchi, who informed them of developments in the investigation and assured them that efforts to locate Moishe were continuing.

The investigation has been handled by the district’s central investigative unit, with police maintaining that the case remains a priority.

Moishe’s mother, Giti Kleinerman, has spoken publicly on numerous occasions about the pain of living without answers. During an earlier interview, she expressed her conviction that her son was still alive and that the mystery surrounding his disappearance would eventually be solved.

Now, as the family marks another birthday without him, his uncle is asking Klal Yisroel to become involved once again, whether by passing along information or increasing their tefillos and Torah learning in his zechus.

“We must find a lead,” Henfling said. “We believe and are confident that every good deed a person performs will help, and, with God’s help, bring us closer to finding Moishi soon.”

Henfling urged members of the public to undertake even a single positive action, emphasizing that every tefillah, every moment of Torah learning, and every meaningful kabbalah could be a source of zechus for Moishe.

The Israel Dog Unit, known in Hebrew as Yachal, which has participated extensively in the search efforts, has also renewed its appeal for assistance.

The volunteer organization is asking people to circulate Moishe’s photograph widely and to report any information that might help establish where he went after he was last seen in Meron.

Anyone with potentially relevant information is urged to contact the Israel Dog Unit at 054-487-6709.

For the Kleinerman family, the appeal remains the same as it was when Moishe first disappeared more than four years ago: that someone, somewhere, may possess the detail that will finally help bring him home.

{Matzav.com}