HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – The search continued Tuesday for a missing, endangered Hallandale Beach jeweler.
Chaim Haberfeld, 36, was last seen around 7 p.m. last Tuesday in the 900 block of Northeast Second Street. Police said he is considered vulnerable and may be at risk of exploitation.
A newly-released video shows Haberfeld in an animated phone call just before he went missing.
Haberfeld was at Rabbi Aryeh Greenberg’s home to celebrate a Jewish holiday.
“He left sort of abruptly. I was like, ‘Is everything OK?’ because he needed to take a call and he was — his face changed — and he said, ‘Yeah, I just got to go take the call,’” Greenberg said. “So I gave him a hug. I said, ‘Thanks so much for coming.’ He went out, and I guess he was on the phone out there on the street, walking back and forth on the sidewalk or street.”
Police fear that Haberfeld may have gotten involved with people with checkered pasts. Greenberg’s daughter overheard the phone conversation.
“He didn’t sound like concern(ed), just animated,” Greenberg said his daughter told him.
The case has received a lot of attention in South Florida’s Jewish communities.
“Everybody is very concerned and people are talking on our different community chats, WhatsApp chats and trying to put it all together like where he was, where they saw him, what they knew,” Greenberg said. “I didn’t even realize until now, how many people know him and are really concerned about him. Everybody, I think, is very, very concerned. Everybody is worried about his well-being.”
Those with any information on Haberfeld’s whereabouts are urged to call Broward Crime Stoppers at 954-493-8477.
“Chaim, we are all praying for you,” Greenberg said.