Sydney Jewish community bands together to find missing girl

Michelle Levy, 11, went missing after storming out of her parents house following an argument.

By SAM SOKOL
Michelle Levy (photo credit: NEW SOUTH WALES POLICE)
Michelle Levy
(photo credit: NEW SOUTH WALES POLICE)
Hundreds of Jews in Sydney have taken to the streets to aid in the search for a young member of their community missing since Saturday.
Michelle Levy, an 11-yearold from the North Bondi suburb, has not been seen since around 6:30 p.m. on Saturday, when she stormed out of her family’s house following an argument.
The thin redhead, last seen in a red floral sundress and matching sun hat, has left home before, but in those cases she went to her grandparents’ house, a source within the Jewish community told The Jerusalem Post on Sunday.
When Michelle failed to return home her parents contacted the police, who have since begun searching the suburbs in conjunction with hundreds of volunteers from the Jewish community.
“There have been a number of unconfirmed sightings of her, but at the moment there are very few leads as to where she is,” the source said.
“Michelle, please come in. We love you. Ring doorbell no matter what time,” her parents wrote on a sign placed on the door to their home. Michelle’s father, Adam Levy, described her as an intelligent youngster who loved to read and cook, speaking in an interview with The Daily Telegraph.
Several unconfirmed sightings have been reported, including in the Sydney’s Centennial Park, but no leads have panned out.
Police issued an appeal for anyone with information on Michelle’s whereabouts to contact Crime Stoppers.
A police helicopter was seen hovering above the park, announcing Michelle’s disappearance and description over a loudspeaker, The Sydney Morning Herald reported.
The search in Centennial Park proved unsuccessful, however, and police recommended that volunteers focus on other areas, according to the Australian Jewish News.
“The community has united together extremely rapidly and come together to look for her to bring her back to her parents safe and sound,” Jeremy Spinak of the New South Wales Jewish Board of Deputies told the Post.
“We probably had about 500 volunteers from the Jewish community today that have been searching the areas where there have been reported sightings,” and another three or four hundred volunteers are slated to take over to continue the search throughout the night, he said.
“The community response has been overwhelming,” he continued, saying that Jews from all sectors have come together and “we are doing everything we can to find Michelle.”