The Heart-Wrenching Story of Abraham Ohayon and the Agadir Earthquake
In November 1970, a sensation gripped Israel when a soldier claimed to be Abraham Ohayon, a Jewish boy who was thought to have perished in the catastrophic earthquake that struck Agadir, Morocco, in 1960. This earthquake was one of the deadliest in Moroccan history, claiming the lives of approximately 15,000 to 20,000 individuals and leaving families shattered. The story of a long-lost son miraculously returning home captured the hearts of many and was quickly embraced by the media, leading to an emotional national television appearance. However, the joyous reunion was ultimately revealed to be a profound deception.
Abraham Ohayon had been just nine years old when the earthquake decimated the city, with buildings collapsing and communities uprooted. He came from a large family residing in Taroudant, and his parents had sent him to a boarding school in Agadir, hoping for a brighter future. Tragically, when the earthquake struck, Abraham was among those buried under the rubble, and despite his father Moshe's desperate three-day search, he was never found. The Ohayon family immigrated to Israel in 1963, clinging to the hope that their son might still be alive, yet every lead ended in disappointment.
A National Sensation Unravels
Fast forward to November 1970, when two soldiers entered the Ohayon family's neighborhood in Ness Ziona, with one claiming to be Abraham and spinning a tale of survival. He had supposedly been raised by another family after the earthquake, believing his parents were dead until the recent discovery of their existence. The family, overwhelmed with emotion, embraced him, leading to a reunion that garnered extensive media attention, including a feature in Yedioth Ahronoth, written by journalist Uri Porat.
As the story spread like wildfire, inconsistencies began to emerge, but the family was unwilling to question the miracle they had longed for. The young man, now calling himself Albert, was invited onto television with Fanny, Abraham's younger sister, who was captivated by the sight of her brother's supposed return. However, a family watching from Ofakim recognized the soldier as their own son, Abraham, who had been missing for just a few months. The revelation that he was impersonating another boy led to a swift police investigation.
Upon uncovering the truth, police arrested the impostor in the early hours of the morning, shattering the Ohayon family's hopes. The deception left a lasting scar; for three months, they had welcomed him as a son, only to discover that their hearts had been manipulated. The impostor was later sentenced to two years in prison, but the Ohayon family never sought to connect with his relatives, as the pain of the deception was too deep.
More than five decades later, Fanny Marhum Cohen reflects on the ordeal, now a mother and grandmother, with the story of her brother woven into their family history. Despite the passage of time, the loss of Abraham remains a haunting memory, and the family occasionally contemplates reigniting their search for him. The association of former Agadir residents in Ashdod has provided a glimmer of hope, but the trauma of losing Abraham twice makes them hesitant to pursue new leads.
The fate of Abraham Ohayon continues to be a mystery, with his parents passing away without ever knowing what truly happened to their son. The reunion that once inspired a nation now stands as one of the most extraordinary and tragic deceptions in Israeli history, highlighting the enduring pain of loss in the aftermath of a natural disaster.
As reported by ynetnews.com.
