Three Years After Moishy Kleinerman Disappeared, No Leads On His Whereabouts

JERUSALEM (VINnews) — Three days ago, on the Hebrew date of 22nd Adar II 5782, marked three years since the mysterious disappearance of Moishy Kleinerman, a 16-year-old youth from Modiin Illit. Today, Tuesday, March 25th, marks three years according to the Gregorian calendar.

Moishy, who was 16 at the time, was last seen by his parents on a Friday before vanishing without a trace. His devastated parents remain overwhelmed with grief.

Search and rescue volunteers from “Ichud Hatzalah” who assisted in extensive searches for him said today: “We demand that the Israeli government recognize all families of missing persons and support them. It is unacceptable that since the founding of the state until now, no such recognition exists. To date, over 600 people are listed as missing since the founding of Israel, with no knowledge of their fate. It’s time for change.”

They added: “Over the past three years, our canine search teams have tirelessly continued searching for Moishy in the Meron area and its surroundings — all without any institutional support. We will continue to help the families of the missing and provide a listening ear and an extended hand.”

During the investigation into his disappearance, several suspects were arrested. Police feared from the outset that someone might have murdered the boy and disposed of his body. Multiple lines of investigation were pursued, including the possibility that Kleinerman was smuggled abroad or fled voluntarily.

All initial suspects were released after a few days due to lack of evidence. However,  Solomon Abramov — extradited from England to Israel on unrelated charges — was questioned by police last year about Moishy’s disappearance. Authorities suspect he may have killed the boy after assaulting him.

According to the news outlet “Mako,” police believe Abramov, a Jerusalem resident implicated in other criminal cases, was among the last people to see Moishy in March 2022.

Abramov denied any involvement in Kleinerman’s disappearance or murder, telling Jerusalem District investigators: “I have nothing to do with the murder.” He admitted, “Yes, I was with him a few times in certain places, but I didn’t kill him. Do you really think I would do such a thing?”

Despite his adamant denials, Abramov is already facing charges for at least two other cases involving severe offenses against other charedi boys — crimes allegedly committed over the past few years inside his vehicle.

According to the indictment filed against him last year, Abramov reportedly convinced young boys to get into his car under the pretense of distributing religious booklets at intersections nationwide. During these rides, he allegedly assaulted them.

While the prosecution pursues charges related to those cases, police continue efforts to uncover the fate of Moishy Kleinerman.

“Today is not an easy day, but no day has been easy since Moishy disappeared three years ago,” Moishy’s parents, Shmuel and Gitty, said on Tuesday. “We continue to pray and hope that Moishy will return to us and get to know his new little brother, who joined our family this year,” the family said in a statement.

The family also expressed concern about the police cutting off contact with them. “We understand that the police and security forces are very busy since October 7th, but it’s puzzling that in recent months, all communication with the police has been completely severed. We’re asking — is there new information they’re not telling us? Have the police given up? Has the case been shelved? We would appreciate updates from the relevant authorities handling the investigation.”

Four months ago, Moishy’s parents welcomed a new baby boy into the family. Gitty took this opportunity to appeal to the public for help:

“If anyone was with Moishy, if anyone saw something, if Moishy said something to someone — even something small that might seem unimportant — I’m begging you, please let us know. We would appreciate any piece of information. Even something that seems insignificant could be very important and might solve the mystery of where our Moishy is.”