A 70-year-old Israeli Chareidi man was found in distress aboard a train near Antwerp last week, leaving members of the city’s Jewish community scrambling to uncover how he ended up in Belgium.
According to local reports, passengers noticed that the man appeared unwell and attempted to communicate with him. However, he spoke only Hebrew and was unable to communicate with those around him.
Belgian police were called to the scene and transported him to a local hospital for evaluation. Doctors later suspected he was suffering from a mental health crisis, and he was transferred to a psychiatric hospital in Antwerp for further care.
Local authorities and hospital staff contacted Shmuel Markovitz, head of the local Hatzalah organization, who coordinated with volunteers from Antwerp’s Chaverim organization to visit the man and assist in his care.
Ahead of Shabbos, volunteers brought him kosher food and ensured he was receiving appropriate treatment.
The circumstances surrounding the man’s arrival in Belgium remain a mystery. It is unclear how he traveled there, whether he has relatives in Antwerp, or whether family members in Israel are searching for him.
Community officials said the man has not been communicating or cooperating with those trying to help him, though his Israeli passport was found in his possession.
The Jewish community, together with Belgian authorities, is now working to determine his identity, locate any relatives, and find a way to safely return him to Israel.
(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)
