Jerusalem – Missing American-Israeli Yeshiva Student Found Dead in Jerusalem

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Policemen and volunteers of the search and rescue Zaka organization seen near the Jerusalem Forest where the body of Aharon Sofer was found, on August 28, 2014. Sofer, 23, has gone missing since last Friday after hiking in the forest. Photo by Yonatan Sindel/Flash90Jerusalem – The body of Aron Sofer, the 23 year old yeshiva bochur who went missing on Friday, has been found in the Jerusalem Forest in Ein Kerem.

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VIN News has confirmed that Sofer’s body was located by United Hatzolah volunteers who were among the many that took part in the massive search for the missing Lakewood resident.

“We were going through a completely new area that we hadn’t searched before,” Eli Beer, founder of United Hatzolah told VIN News. “This was east, towards Ein Kerem a few miles away. After about two hours of searching one of our volunteers found him near a tree and he called for help. Other volunteers came and they saw he wasn’t alive, hadn’t been alive for a while.”

Initial reports say that Sofer’s body shows no signs of violence. While Beer said that no details were being released at this time and that it was too early to say whether or not terrorism played a rule in Sofer’s death, it appears not to have been a factor.

“It is impossible to know at this time why he passed away,” said Beer. “He was found whole, on the floor, and had not been alive for some time. There was a small cliff nearby. It could be he fell, it could be he was dehydrated. It is too early to rule anything out but it looks like it was not terrorism.”

Police, Hatzolah and Zaka are all on scene at the location where Sofer’s body was found.

Sofer’s parents were brought to United Hatzolah headquarters in Romema where they were told of their son’s passing.

“He was found a long way from where he disappeared,” said Beer. “No one ever thought that this area was even a possibility.”

Police spokesman Micky Rosenfeld confirmed to the media that authorities were in the process of identifying the body.

Rosenfeld would not say whether there were any signs of foul play.

Below photos earlier today while the search was on.
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65 Comments
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The_Truth
Noble Member
The_Truth
9 years ago

The body was located in the same forest he went missing in last Friday while hiking with a friend.

Sources say the death does not appear to be terror related.

Additionally, it appears he may have fallen down a cliff while attempting to navigate his way out of the forest, sources say.

9 years ago

BD’HE…..I suspect we will learn more details over time….one does not die of natural causes this time of year by “getting lost” in a small national park. The temperatures are neither that cold or hot….unless there was some fall from a high cliff or something like that, this doesn’t make much sense.

Mishelanu
Mishelanu
9 years ago

Sad! Ever more sad that he had no cell phone with him. It might have saved his life…

Aron1
Active Member
Aron1
9 years ago

Terrible news. BD”E.

Normal
Normal
9 years ago

How can you go out these days without at least a $20 mobile phone on you. Especially hiking in a forest. BDE

9 years ago

He was probably walking for 6 hours before the police were even notified??
Parents complaining why police weren’t searching for him knowing its such a dangerous area. Why do bochurim take hikes in such dangerous areas? Especially during war time animositg and rabble rousing?

volfie
volfie
9 years ago

Shema Yisrael
NEVER NEVER NEVER go into a forest by yourself-anywhere and at any age.Trees,rocks,boulders,snakes.cliffs,animals-always go in groups.
And certainly not near areas with yishmael !!!

ashoag
ashoag
9 years ago

בלמוד מסכת מועד קטן צריכים רחמי שמים
נוהגין לצום בהתחלת מסכת זו
השם ירחם ונזכה לשמוע בשורות טובות מכל עמינו ישראל קדושים.

9 years ago

BDE. So sad. He would have inspired others in Torah, no doubt.

From now on, should parents insist on their children having cellphones, when on tiulim, to possibly prevent other tragedies?

It might not have helped, but it would not have hurt.

B”H we have lifesaving inventions, and perhaps its wise to use them.

gezinterheit
gezinterheit
9 years ago

BDE>>> Hashem Yeachem…

uberchochom
uberchochom
9 years ago

BDE

No autopsy, no speculating.

9 years ago

Please post levaya/shiva information. Thank you.

yankee96
yankee96
9 years ago

B’DE

ALWAYS HAVE A CELL PHONE THAT CAN TEXT MESSAGES ,as there are dead zones everywhere,especially in the US in upstate NY and on highways across America.

“AL T’HEE CHOSID – SHOTAH ” !!!

v’hamaivin – yavin !!!

MyThreeCents
MyThreeCents
9 years ago

I’m just wondering why his friend didn’t report him missing immediately. If you go hiking with someone and he disappears, shouldn’t you right away start searching? I hope there was no foul play, but it is very sad and tragic just the same. It is just easier to accept such a tragedy if it was a “natural” (min HaShomayim) event than terrorism. May his parents find consolation among the mourners of Jerusalem.

7373
7373
9 years ago

קרבן ציבור

takeittothem
takeittothem
9 years ago

Cell phones are important. A GPS device is better

LONGBEACH13
LONGBEACH13
9 years ago

This won’t bring him back, but I think it is very important that young men have some Boy Scout experiences about the out doors. Reading all the above comments it seems obvious that proper precautions were not taken. One of the street smarts that even city kids are aware of too, is you must be aware of your surroundings at all times.

commonsense99
commonsense99
9 years ago

while i agree about the need about using common sense before hiking [and i hiked the Appalachian Trail for a week when i was a bucher] this is not the forum to discuss this, a family is hurting, please use discretion

9 years ago

This young man was 23, not a 15 year old. And FYI, you can get cell phones that have just a few numbers: parents, emergency contacts & emergency services. Parents, make sure your students who are overseas have cell phones.

9 years ago

Shame on all of you Monday morning quarterbacks with your speculation such as what if, what could have been, what he should have done, and he should not have done, etc. Someone even had the gall to post an unfounded and unsubstantiated allegation attacking the character of the deceased. Nebech, have a little rachmonos on the family, as they will shortly be sitting Shiva, and will be in mourning. They don’t need to read about this wild speculation, advice, and other “expert opinions”. Have a little sensitivity and discretion in these matters! I hope that there won’t be any additional negative comments.
BOROCH DAYAN HAEMET- May the family of Aaron Sofer know of no further sorrow!

The_Truth
Noble Member
The_Truth
9 years ago

UPDATE: The Levaya will tentatively take place tomorrow 9:30am. (Israel time) in front of Rabbi Kaplan’s Yeshiva on Rechov Even Ha-Azel. Kevura will be in the Eretz Hachayim Cemetery Lakewood section in Bet Shemesh.

SouthernBubbie
SouthernBubbie
9 years ago

First of all, Baruch Dayan Emet, and we have to mourn this tragedy and hope that the family will find consolation among the mourners of Zion and Jerusalem. But then we need to decide (and each person can consult with his/her Rav) what can be done to prevent future tragedies of this kind. Will a cell phone help? Is there some other means of keeping in touch? While it’s true we have to rely on Hashem and not on technology, Hashem has given us technology to aid us in certain situations. There are kosher phones available. But, for those who don’t want to use them, other solutions can be explored. Remember what happened to little Leiby Kletzky A”H and how, as a result, there has been an increase in awareness of safety and preventive measures to educate and protect small children. Something can be learned from this tragedy as well.

9 years ago

While not specific to this case, if someone c’v dies because his/her rav forbid owning one under threat of dismissal from kollel/seminary and they were unable to call emergency assistance, that rav himself is as guilty as if he pulled a trigger and committed murder. Hopefully, that was not the case here. If it was, then someone needs to identify the rav who was liable.

ayoyo
ayoyo
9 years ago

TWO WENT IN AND ONLY ONE CAME BACK,- HUMM–

9 years ago

C’mon everyone. If we all know who rules the world there will not be so much comments. Yes cellphone, no cellphone, trouble student, masmid student, went alone or with others. Whatever it is, it doesn’t matter. Nothing will bring him back now. That was Hashems will. We gotta take it as a personal reminder. And really try to help משיח come.

9 years ago

Talking about cell phones, many times it’s an emergency it doesn’t work. So many things can go wrong. No service, low battery, lost, wet, you name it. How did the ppl live years ago? They managed fine. I guess they had more trust in God then we ppl do. Meaning in overall life.