As the hours pass, concern continues to grow over the disappearance of Mali and Liel Yahalomi, a mother and daughter who went missing during a trip to Europe.
The search for the two has now entered its fifth day, with no breakthrough explaining what happened to them.
Speaking to Arutz Sheva - Israel National News, Chabad-Lubavitch emissary in Vienna Rabbi Reuven Timsit said the Jewish community in Austria is also struggling to digest the news.
"We first heard about it a few days ago, and there is still absolutely no lead. The information is very, very vague," he said.
According to Rabbi Timsit, one of the initial assumptions was that the pair would visit the local Chabad House, as many religious travelers do.
"At the Chabad House this week, over 400 travelers registered for Shabbat meals, but their names did not appear on the lists. They also do not appear on the Chabad House's security cameras, so we don't even have a first indication that they came here."
Since news of their disappearance emerged, the Chabad House has become a hub for search efforts.
"We've activated WhatsApp groups for travelers and are asking everyone to look for them. But what's especially moving is the response from the local Jewish community. People are treating this as though it were their own mother or daughter. You can see it in all of the community's WhatsApp groups."
Rabbi Timsit said local business owners have also joined the effort, adding, "One business owner wrote to us that he thinks he saw them come to him, and he immediately informed Israel's Foreign Ministry. People feel this is their personal issue, and it's very moving to witness."
In addition, he said, "The police and everyone who deals with security in Austria are working on the case. They're not leaving the work solely to Israel's Foreign Ministry."
At the same time, he noted that Europe's open borders make locating the missing pair especially difficult.
"They landed in the Czech Republic and traveled from there to Vienna, but in Europe all the borders are open," Rabbi Timsit explained. "You can travel by car and no one will check you. In 50 minutes you're in Slovakia, and within three hours you're in Budapest. That's why it's so difficult to know where to even begin looking."
"We don't know whether this is a criminal incident, nationalist [attack], a family matter, or something else. There isn't a single lead. That's what makes it all so strange," he said, noting, "We live in a time when almost every movement can be tracked. How in the world is it possible to simply disappear in Europe? That's what's so disturbing."
"Vienna is usually very calm. We are not aware of any unusual warnings or specific threats against Israeli or Jewish travelers. Precisely because of that, this entire case raises more and more questions."
At the same time, Rabbi Timsit admitted, "With every passing moment, your imagination starts working overtime. Suddenly you start wondering - maybe they fell into a pit? Maybe they were kidnapped? We can't know. This isn't a Third World country or an area struck by a natural disaster. This is Vienna, Austria. How can someone simply disappear here?"
Concluding the interview, Rabbi Timsit appealed to the Israeli public to join the effort, urging, "It's not only people in Vienna or Europe who can help. Those in Israel can also be part of the effort. A short prayer, a short chapter of Psalms - they can always help."