The area between the northern Israel cities of Safed and Meron has earned the nickname "Bermuda Triangle" for good reason. Its dense, open terrain, spiritual aura and holy sites intertwine with years of poverty and neglect, culminating in the tragic disaster that has claimed the lives of 45 people.
The region's nature attracts shady figures and cult members who seem to find it a lawless space, leaving the price to be paid by tens of thousands of law-abiding citizens. This phenomenon has also led to a troubling pattern of disappearances — ranging from a young girl to an elderly man.
On Wednesday morning, the Israel Police’s Canine Unit, Safed police station and other organizations launched yet another operation to locate some of the missing individuals: Moshe Kleinerman (16 at the time of his disappearance) missing since March 25, 2022, near the Tomb of Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai; Haymanot Kasau, 9, who vanished in Safed on March 25; Raphael Chaim Hadad, 60, last seen in the Safed area on November 18, 2022; David Israel Padida, 28, missing since October 15, 2024, also from Safed, and Moshe Eliezer Ilovitch, 37, who disappeared on May 18, 2019, near Meron just before the Jewish holiday of Lag B'Omer.
The missing individuals’ families assisted in the search, which focused on caves, pits, thickets and hiding spots. Yet, like many previous efforts, this operation ended with no breakthroughs. “It’s been a long time since searches took place,” said Aharon, Moshe’s son. “It’s always relevant to try finding something new, there’s been no trace of my dad since he disappeared.”
The list of the region’s missing extends even further. It includes, for example, Yoram Fliter, 32, a Safed resident who disappeared under mysterious circumstances on October 8, 2023, though his car was later found near Beit Shemesh; Shalom Dahan, 60, missing since February 15, 2017, in Hatzor HaGlilit; and even Haviv Ben Abu, 80, who went to Meron on Lag B'Omer eve in 1995 and has not been seen since.
The home burned down during the searches
Aharon, who was 16 when his father Moshe disappeared, still recalls the shock and fear when his father didn’t answer the phone on that Saturday night. Since then, his family has lived with one question looming over them: What happened to him? “I have no answers, only hope,” he says.
Moshe was 42 at the time of his disappearance. He lived on Mount Meron after his divorce and worked in Safed. He was last seen at the Tomb of Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai on the morning of May 18, a few hours before he vanished. "There were no prior indications, nothing unusual," Aharon says, describing his father as someone who loved the area and handled personal struggles just like anyone else.
Aharon, now 21, is the second of Moshe's five children. He was supposed to spend that Sabbath with his father, but Moshe stopped answering his phone as early as Thursday. “I was waiting for him to call me Saturday night, but it never happened,” he recalls. Concerned, Aharon went to his father’s home the next day, but five and a half years later, Moshe is still missing.
The family had lived in Mevo Modi’im, but Moshe had moved to Meron a few months earlier following his separation from his wife. The children frequently visited him for Sabbaths and holidays and were planning to spend Lag B’Omer with him.
Aharon recounts that his father and friends were evicted from their rented apartment days before the holiday to make way for foreign visitors willing to pay high sums for accommodations near the celebration. This common practice in the area forced them to camp in tents nearby.
On May 17, about an hour before the Sabbath, a friend drove Moshe from Safed to Meron, reporting nothing unusual in his behavior. CCTV cameras recorded Moshe at the tomb at 10:30 a.m. on Saturday. He then walked toward the tents.
Since then, no trace of him has been found. The area, a dense forest with pits and rugged terrain, has caused others to lose their way in the past. Despite extensive searches, no sign of Moshe or the other missing individuals has been found.
According to Aharon, his father struggled after the divorce but showed no worrying signs. “It was a mutual decision and everything ended amicably,” he says. “We even visited him together with my mom.”
On Sunday evening, May 19, Aharon and his younger brother went to Meron to investigate. “I went to the tent where he stayed and all his belongings were there — except for him,” he says. The next day, the family reported him missing to the police.
Amid their anguish, the family faced another tragedy when their home in Mevo Modi’im burned down completely. "I was out searching for my dad when a friend told me the town was on fire. My sister called, saying the younger siblings had been evacuated," Aharon recounts. Homeless and overwhelmed, they rented an apartment in Safed to stay close to the search area.
'He might have wandered into a forest'
Eli Ben-Tovim, a veteran search volunteer in northern Israel, has known Aharon since his father's disappearance. “I met the family the day they reported Moshe missing. Aharon was only 14 and seeing his mother running around with a baby stroller to search for her husband was heartbreaking,” he says.
Ben-Tovim noted that recent searches resumed in previously restricted forested areas following the war. “If someone’s lost, injured or worse we should’ve found them. It’s unusual if we don’t.” Meron, he adds, attracts individuals seeking solitude or refuge. “But Moshe wanted to see his family. I don’t think he intended to disappear. He might’ve wandered into a forest, fallen or gotten hurt.”
Initially, the family felt the police weren’t making enough effort but they saw improvement after Israel’s Canine Unit joined the case. “They’ve supported us ever since,” Aharon says. “Police involvement felt dismissive before that.”
Even after Moishi Kleinerman’s disappearance in the same area, Aharon remains skeptical of law enforcement’s dedication. “Every few months, they’d call my mom to ask if we found him and hang up,” he says. “They would have found him if they truly wanted.”
Monetary reward leads to tips, not breakthrough
The family even offered a monetary reward — first 50,000 NIS ($13,628), then 100,000 ($27,256) — but every lead ended in disappointment. Aharon recalls traveling to Jerusalem after receiving an unclear photo suggesting Moshe had been spotted. “I rushed there before Sabbath, but a video later confirmed it wasn’t him.”
Aharon has taken on his father’s role, supporting the family and strengthening bonds among his siblings and extended relatives since May 18, 2019. “We’ve grown closer. We’re a strong family, and we’re all waiting for him,” he says.
“He’s missing from everything — Sabbaths, meals, daily life trips,” Aharon says, his voice heavy with emotion. “He wasn’t there for my younger brother’s bar mitzvah three years ago. My brother initially refused to celebrate without him.
“We had to convince him and it was a very charged event. We went to the Western Wall with our grandparents and the whole family — but my dad wasn’t there. I hope he’s back in time for my wedding,” Aharon said.
Get the Ynetnews app on your smartphone: Google Play: https://bit.ly/4eJ37pE | Apple App Store: https://bit.ly/3ZL7iNv
“I don’t know what happened to him,” Aharon concludes. “I’ve considered every possibility over the years. After all this time, all I have left is hope. I feel he’s alive but I can’t explain why he hasn’t contacted us.
“If he’s listening, I want him to know that we’re still strong and waiting for him no matter what — me and the rest of the kids. I’ve even imagined waking up one morning and seeing him smiling next to me. That would be a joy beyond words.”