Rabbi possibly kidnapped by his grandchildren in Beit Shemesh

Rabbi Yaakov Meir Schechter, one of the great Breslov Hasidim, disappeared Saturday night from the apartment that he had been living in for the last few weeks in Beit Shemesh.

The Jerusalem District Police detectives are investigating to find where Rabbi Schechter was taken to, as well as attempting to trace some of his grandchildren, who are allegedly connected to his kidnapping and disappearance from the apartment. 

The police believe an internal conflict within the family is behind the rabbi's mysterious disappearance. A quick investigation by the police led to the fact that some of his family members had gotten into a dispute with other family members and ushers in synagogues and as a result, they were banned from having any connection to the rabbi.

Schechter's grandchildren kidnapped him on Sunday

According to the police, early Sunday morning, some of the grandchildren arrived at the apartment in Beit Shemesh, where the rabbi and a number of security guards were, broke a window and kidnapped the rabbi.

The investigation led the police to suspect the grandchildren of coercing the synagogue's usher, an associate of the rabbi, for an hour and didn't let him go until the rabbi agreed to meet with them.

The police investigation is still ongoing as they are trying to find the grandchildren and trace where they are hiding Rabbi Schechter and return him home.