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By LORNA COLQUHOUN
Union Leader Correspondent
FRANCONIA — What began as a Sunday afternoon walk for a Brooklyn, N.Y., rabbi and his wife to Artists Bluff in Franconia Notch evolved into a massive search for the man that drew busloads of Hassidic Jews from New York and Canada to assist in the effort.
By sundown yesterday, there had been no sign of Abraham Hauer, 53, described by friends as the kind and gentle rabbi in charge of the synagogue at the Arlington Hotel in Bethlehem, where, for decades, Orthodox Jews from New York City have vacationed. Family members said a vest found in the woods during the search belonged to Hauer, but there was no confirmation of that by officials.
The parking lot of Echo Lake State Park was the staging point for the search and throughout the morning, busloads of young men arrived from Hassidic communities in Brooklyn and Monroe, N.Y., and Montreal to take part in the search. By mid-afternoon, Hauer’s family put up a $10,000 reward for his safe return.
“We’re hoping and praying for his return in the next couple of hours,” said Aaron Hauer, the missing man’s brother, adding that the reward is an “incentive” for people to help search for the man.
At sundown, Hauer’s wife, Milkah, brought searchers back up to Artists Bluff, to the point where she turned back Sunday afternoon.
“We very much hope he won’t spend another night out here,” Aaron Hauer said yesterday evening. “This was helpful to show (searchers) where she went, as that gives them an idea.”
Both the offices of New York Mayor Rudolph Giuliani and Sen. Joe Lieberman, D-Conn., called the state’s Fish and Game Department to express their concern about Hauer, said Pamela Walsh, a spokesman for Gov. Jeanne Shaheen.
“It’s my understanding they urged us to make it a priority, which of course we were doing,” she said. Messages left last night with Sen. Lieberman’s offices in Washington and Connecticut were not immediately returned. Mayor Giuliani’s office also failed to return a telephone call.
Hauer and his wife, who have been coming to Bethlehem for years, went to Artists Bluff late Sunday afternoon to make the 15 to 20 minute climb to the top of the bluff. But, said Fish and Game Lt. Marty Garabedian, she tired after a few minutes and returned to their vehicle. When he had not returned by 6 p.m., she called police and a search of the area began just after 6:30 p.m.
“He is the first one to come to Bethlehem and open the synagogue and he is the last to leave,” said Samuel Simsovitz, a friend of Hauer’s.
When conservation officers found no immediate sign of Hauer, the Jewish community called for help and shortly after midnight yesterday, a mobile command post, Hatzolah, arrived from Brooklyn. The huge vehicle, ironically, was donated to the community by the family of a girl who was missing for several days in Massachusetts several years ago. Associated with the unit are about 800 volunteers trained in emergency medical services, including a group of about 50 trained in search and rescue.
By mid-morning, fog and a warm rain settled into the Notch, precluding a helicopter search until mid-afternoon. Those arriving in the morning who were outfitted in appropriate gear were dispatched to search trails and bike paths.
Meanwhile, men dressed in traditional clothing of the faith — dark clothing, white shirts and street shoes, awaited the arrival of rain gear and rubber boots. One man said the purchases, from the Littleton Wal-Mart, were paid from a $5,000 donation by one of the members of the Hassidic community. Throughout the day, others within the community put up money to pay for food and other supplies.
“This is a normal turnout,” Aaron Hauer said.
Hassidic officials said the massive turnout was not unusual — it would happen no matter who in the community was missing.
During the afternoon, a number of line searches took place, consisting of dozens of the Jewish volunteers, by then outfitted in brightly colored plastic rain ponchos and black rubber boots trimmed in red.
“This is probably the first time many of them have worn such brightly colored clothes,” one woman observed.
As searchers were needed, they gathered in groups, where Jacob Weingarten, one of the Hassidic coordinators from Brooklyn, issued instructions in Yiddish through a bullhorn.
Officials were optimistic that Hauer would be able to survive the first night in the woods.
“It was warm (Sunday) night,” Garabedian said. “But it was windy and that drowned out the sound of our voices.”
Conservation officers coordinated the line searches and Garabedian said the assistance from the Hassidic community was valuable, but there were some initial concerns that those taking part were not properly dressed for the wet conditions.
Artists Bluff is a popular hike at the northern end of Franconia Notch.
“Thousands of people climb it — it’s a short climb,” said Fish and Game Col. Ron Alie. “But there are kinds of potential to become confused — old ski trails and mountain bike trails. Even though it is a small place on a map, our search and rescue teams say it is some thick in there. There’s ice storm damage from 1998 and there is some tough going — it’s easy to become confused.”
The line searches ended just before sunset yesterday. At about 6 p.m., the State Police helicopter, equipped with an infrared device that detects body heat, arrived, joining the Blackhawk helicopter from the New Hampshire Army National Guard in Concord.
After dark, when the woods were cleared, dogs from New England Canine Search and Rescue were brought in for the second night to try to find Hauer. If overnight efforts were unsuccessful, the search will resume at sunrise today.
“We are going to find him, we have a great deal of help,” said Alie, with praise to the Hassidic community. “The cooperation is outstanding.”
“This community sticks together,” Weingarten said.
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Union Leader Correspondent
FRANCONIA — What began as a Sunday afternoon walk for a Brooklyn, N.Y., rabbi and his wife to Artists Bluff in Franconia Notch evolved into a massive search for the man that drew busloads of Hassidic Jews from New York and Canada to assist in the effort.
By sundown yesterday, there had been no sign of Abraham Hauer, 53, described by friends as the kind and gentle rabbi in charge of the synagogue at the Arlington Hotel in Bethlehem, where, for decades, Orthodox Jews from New York City have vacationed. Family members said a vest found in the woods during the search belonged to Hauer, but there was no confirmation of that by officials.
The parking lot of Echo Lake State Park was the staging point for the search and throughout the morning, busloads of young men arrived from Hassidic communities in Brooklyn and Monroe, N.Y., and Montreal to take part in the search. By mid-afternoon, Hauer’s family put up a $10,000 reward for his safe return.
“We’re hoping and praying for his return in the next couple of hours,” said Aaron Hauer, the missing man’s brother, adding that the reward is an “incentive” for people to help search for the man.
At sundown, Hauer’s wife, Milkah, brought searchers back up to Artists Bluff, to the point where she turned back Sunday afternoon.
“We very much hope he won’t spend another night out here,” Aaron Hauer said yesterday evening. “This was helpful to show (searchers) where she went, as that gives them an idea.”
Both the offices of New York Mayor Rudolph Giuliani and Sen. Joe Lieberman, D-Conn., called the state’s Fish and Game Department to express their concern about Hauer, said Pamela Walsh, a spokesman for Gov. Jeanne Shaheen.
“It’s my understanding they urged us to make it a priority, which of course we were doing,” she said. Messages left last night with Sen. Lieberman’s offices in Washington and Connecticut were not immediately returned. Mayor Giuliani’s office also failed to return a telephone call.
Hauer and his wife, who have been coming to Bethlehem for years, went to Artists Bluff late Sunday afternoon to make the 15 to 20 minute climb to the top of the bluff. But, said Fish and Game Lt. Marty Garabedian, she tired after a few minutes and returned to their vehicle. When he had not returned by 6 p.m., she called police and a search of the area began just after 6:30 p.m.
“He is the first one to come to Bethlehem and open the synagogue and he is the last to leave,” said Samuel Simsovitz, a friend of Hauer’s.
When conservation officers found no immediate sign of Hauer, the Jewish community called for help and shortly after midnight yesterday, a mobile command post, Hatzolah, arrived from Brooklyn. The huge vehicle, ironically, was donated to the community by the family of a girl who was missing for several days in Massachusetts several years ago. Associated with the unit are about 800 volunteers trained in emergency medical services, including a group of about 50 trained in search and rescue.
By mid-morning, fog and a warm rain settled into the Notch, precluding a helicopter search until mid-afternoon. Those arriving in the morning who were outfitted in appropriate gear were dispatched to search trails and bike paths.
Meanwhile, men dressed in traditional clothing of the faith — dark clothing, white shirts and street shoes, awaited the arrival of rain gear and rubber boots. One man said the purchases, from the Littleton Wal-Mart, were paid from a $5,000 donation by one of the members of the Hassidic community. Throughout the day, others within the community put up money to pay for food and other supplies.
“This is a normal turnout,” Aaron Hauer said.
Hassidic officials said the massive turnout was not unusual — it would happen no matter who in the community was missing.
During the afternoon, a number of line searches took place, consisting of dozens of the Jewish volunteers, by then outfitted in brightly colored plastic rain ponchos and black rubber boots trimmed in red.
“This is probably the first time many of them have worn such brightly colored clothes,” one woman observed.
As searchers were needed, they gathered in groups, where Jacob Weingarten, one of the Hassidic coordinators from Brooklyn, issued instructions in Yiddish through a bullhorn.
Officials were optimistic that Hauer would be able to survive the first night in the woods.
“It was warm (Sunday) night,” Garabedian said. “But it was windy and that drowned out the sound of our voices.”
Conservation officers coordinated the line searches and Garabedian said the assistance from the Hassidic community was valuable, but there were some initial concerns that those taking part were not properly dressed for the wet conditions.
Artists Bluff is a popular hike at the northern end of Franconia Notch.
“Thousands of people climb it — it’s a short climb,” said Fish and Game Col. Ron Alie. “But there are kinds of potential to become confused — old ski trails and mountain bike trails. Even though it is a small place on a map, our search and rescue teams say it is some thick in there. There’s ice storm damage from 1998 and there is some tough going — it’s easy to become confused.”
The line searches ended just before sunset yesterday. At about 6 p.m., the State Police helicopter, equipped with an infrared device that detects body heat, arrived, joining the Blackhawk helicopter from the New Hampshire Army National Guard in Concord.
After dark, when the woods were cleared, dogs from New England Canine Search and Rescue were brought in for the second night to try to find Hauer. If overnight efforts were unsuccessful, the search will resume at sunrise today.
“We are going to find him, we have a great deal of help,” said Alie, with praise to the Hassidic community. “The cooperation is outstanding.”
“This community sticks together,” Weingarten said.
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