Full Press Conference Lakewood for Missing Aaron Sofer

wow all right I want to check continuity you're roll good morning everyone we here to gather today to discuss the latest updating issues with regard to the uh disappearance of a lakid resident Aon serur Aon serur 23 years old live right here in Lakewood on P Street has been learning in Israel in our vinal College this past year went missing Friday afternoon while taking a walk in a nearby wooded area with a [Music] friend family immediately the father took a plane immediately to Israel on Saturday night followed forth from Sunday as well our families gathered together there or we gathered together here in solidarity as a lakid resident disappeared overseas we thank those agencies that have been involved thus far and we implore upon the agencies to continue their mission in assisting and finding Aaron s at this point I'd like to turn over the mic to my colleague committee ml Ste leaz on Emergency Services by the statement from the family I'm the N Miller of the mayor of Lakeland this is committee manstein emergenc Services thank you mayor and good morning to all and thank you for coming out surrounded by politicians who are here to help us people in public office as well as to my farle family of Aaron S I spoke to Aaron's parents today and they gave me a cleared statement to read on behalf of Rabbi moset and K sofa and the entire sofa family we would like to thank everyone for the outpouring of support for Aaron's safe return this effort is being coordinated in Israel and in the United States in Israel the family would like to thank the US ambassador the counil general members of the knesset zaka United hulo and all the other Myriad of agencies and of course the thousands of volunteers assisting in the search the family would especially like to thank the Israeli police for coordinating this effort and spending countless hours to explore every possibility in the United States the family would like to thank Senator Bob men menes Senator Cory Booker Congressman Smith Chris Smith and their staff of course our local County and state officials who you will hear from shortly the US state department the FBI and the Israeli Consul stationed in the New York area all other agencies and scores of people offering their support as you are aware Aaron has been missing for 4 days and there is great concern for his safety the search of the Jerusalem Forest continues and all possibilities including abduction are being considered the family appreciates and continues to ask for the full weight and resources of the United States government to be lent to the safe return of Aaron a United States citizen a resident of New Jersey right here in Lakewood countship the family thanks everyone and continues to ask for everyone's continued support in prayer thank you thank you at this time we're going to call upon Congressman Chris Smith to pray the tri out here May Miller thank you and and the council knowledge party to bringing us all together there as a father uh I can only begin to have a sense of what sense of urgency concern um that um Aaron's parents and extended family are suffering now now that he has been missing since his late Friday um I know I spoke to uh David Wade who is the chief of sta for Secretary of State John Curry yesterday who absolutely assured me and I believe him to the court uh that they are doing everything they can at the US Department of State uh to assist the Israeli police the Israeli government in trying to find Aaron and to find him now there is there are concerns as we all know uh about the possibility of an abduction uh no claims have been made and that's a good sign the claims aren't always made immediately uh by abducting parties particularly Hamas uh so there are concerns along those lines I was assured as early or as late as just a few hours ago uh by our Cil General that they are working closely with the Israeli police in all levels of the Israeli government to home the Jerusalem Forest is not that large of area uh and as was mentioned by uh Mayor Miller uh there have been over a thousand times uh individuals volunteers who have spanned out in the search for AR so I want the family to know that I believe no stone is being left unturned in this effort and know this as well that all of our prayers are for errands to [Music] St thank you Congressman this time we're going to call upon Senator B singer of the 30th latest late of District thank you mayor Robie I called me on Saturday uh to let me know what what happened I immediately spoke to my daughter in New York as many of you know 11 years ago there very connect with Israel and she uh he got working on immediately she also was able to speak to the polican in charge of the investigation in Israel and assured her that no s uh this is a very serious situation we very very concerned about this and we want to make sure the family knows that Israel ised and that we hear again our prayers family I I am [Music] confident thank you Senator this time we're going to hear from Freeholder jur little oan County [Music] thank you mayor we are here today from Ocean County uh with me is our Freeholder director Joseph uh car uh to show that we are one County family and to be United with the Lakewood Community with uh the lak committee and with Congressman Smith and Senator singer to blend our prayers and our support for Aaron and his family and to continue to urge the Israeli officials and United States officials to do everything possible to locate and bring Aaron home safely our prayers with the family and all their loved ones and the people of Lakewood Township uh in this very difficult day and we continue to pray for than thank you free holder I would like to hear from pre holder car as well thank you very much you know there's no place more important for me to be today as director the board of pre than right here today in Lakewood New Jersey be with not only our Representatives but the families not only the share their pain but the message has to be from Lakewood to New Jersey to the United States across the world this should never never happened again my message is loud and clear we want airing back immediately when I'm back with his family with his friends we want him back in Lakewood Ocean County now it's not time to make excuses it's not time to wait we need a commitment from the United States government say loud and clear not just to Ocean County to the state of New Jersey but across the world this has to stop and it will never never happen again my heart goes out today your family and parents that are here today we not only share their pain we know what they go through we appreciate the governing body of L that's not only here today but has been going through this continuously month after month year after year and this is time to bring you to an and to bring peace in the name of Aaron and God bless you thank you Freeholder unfortunately Senator Menendez could not be here today but he did send a representative Express thank you mayor Senator mendz could not be here he's away on foreign travel he did state I am deeply concerned over The Disappearance of New Jersey student Aaron s in Israel and I stand his solidarity his family my thoughts are with them in the Lakewood Community during this trying Time by all accounts Aaron is a devout dedicated student travel to Israel to enhance his knowledge deepen his understanding sacred J we achieve of students like Aaron there's no greater per to live and study in Jerusalem were worshiping and judaism's Hest SS ever since I was notified that Aon went missing in Israel my office has worked very closely with the state department US Embassy and cular officials in Israel the Israeli Embassy in Washington DC while investigators are pursuing every lead parent his family and plus our thank you very much you just heard Zachary [Music] rer this we're going to hear from assemblyman dop heikin from New York State come all the way out here to Lakewood New Jersey stand the solidarity with us family was in touch with me from the very very beginning and I just want to point out to everyone here that as we speak thousands and thousands of students from lakeid from communities in the tri state area are filling l and heading to Israel to study at the different ritical schools thousands my nephew left Sunday afternoon and we hope that continues but I have to express a concern that I have from the very very beginning and I know others too there's a sense that not enough was done from the very very beginning and not enough attention was paid uh to The Disappearance of Aron so what I want to say to the Israeli government treat Aaron as if he was an Israeli soldier missing because we know what the Israeli government does when an Israeli soldier goes missing every resource in the world is put into it and Aaron is a soldier so we want to make sure that the Israeli government uses all the resources they have and they are best to find Aaron it's 4 days I'm a father I'm a grandfather so is everyone else here just imagine what it is like close your eyes and think what it is like for the mother the Father the brothers who were here for others their brother has disappeared and we are very very concerned about his well-being so the Israeli government of course the American government the the Israeli government in particular do what you must do every single resource necessary as if it was an Israeli soldier time is of the essence every hour that goes by and we do not find Aaron is reason for greater concern we pray to God we hope that with God's help in everyone's unity and involvement and we call on everyone to do what they can do good things and that with God's help very very soon Aaron will be back at not back with all due respect I love L New Jersey it's a great Community but back studying in Israel because that is what he wanted to do thank you very much thank [Music] you our last and final speaker for today will be a close family friend Rabbi Cher Hill Rabbi SAR Browski as he's making his way up their Podium I just want to let everyone know that a website has been set up searcher.com to raise funds for the family obviously flying overseas for the family to be there and all that is certainly costly and this is a website for the family to raise funds for them also anyone from the media that would like to get updates please leave your car here immediately afterwards and we'll certainly be sending out updates as they come forward [Music] in yish we have a saying then it's took very when it hurts we scream and today it hurts it hurts when one of our own when a nice boy he goes missing AR is a son he's a brother he's a grandon he's a friend to so many people imagine for a moment if Ain was your son do we have any idea what Mrs suur and what Rabbi suur are going through parents who have absolutely no interest in being in the linelight the only place that they would like to be front from Center is their own homes rust into the middle of a terrible tragedy imagine the nightmare when they found out that their child was missing what would we be thinking where is my child is he perhaps lying somewhere unconscious in pain was he abducted is he being tortured the possibilities are endless two nightmares to think about imagine what Aaron is feeling he knows that his parents must be going through hard gra who knows what's happening to him is he in pain is he suffering is he being for [Music] Aon could be us every single one of us and therefore I appeal to you I appeal to the media tell this story tell it over in human terms allow people around the world to understand that this is a real person he has real parents real siblings who are suffering and they want to see him alive happy and healthy please the Israeli government dedicate your resources to be able to find Aaron I thank you so much to all those who feel this way and may God help Rabbi spell your first and last name please my name is RO Sarah Browski y i s r o e l last name is s Sam e r e b r o w s k i thank you very sowy this concludes the press conference for today we'd like to thank njca for coordinating and if you mind T please leave your cards here we'll certainly give out updates as we get them the family has requested please uh give them their privacy and and during this time uh certainly we welcome any questions here not publicly come over to us but again the family is requesting to get them their space again this conclud the ceremony still still still [Music] he