Spreading Light in Geneva

Leaders of the Jewish communities in Geneva have opended a Jewish Hospitality Center during the UN Durban 2 Conference, organized by new local shliach Akiva Kamissar and Shliach Menachem Mendel Pevsner. Before Shabbos, the city was full of visitors, and approximately 100 guests - mainly students and diplomats - enjoyed Shabbat at the Chabad Center. Full Story, Photos

April 21, 2009 – 27 Nisan 5769

A few weeks ahead of the Durban 2 Conference, leaders of the Jewish communities in Geneva met and decided to open a Jewish Hospitality Center, organized by new local shliach Akiva Kamissar. Shliach Menachem Mendel Pevsner got involved and rented an events hall at the entrance to the UN. Before Shabbos, the city was full of visitors, and approximately 100 guests – mainly students and diplomats – enjoyed Shabbat at the Chabad Center.

Approximately 1,000 kosher sandwiches were sold on the first day at the ceter, and many students enjoyed a warm meal when they ended a long day of discussions at the UN hall.

Rabbi Avraham Pesach Schvarbord assisted in the efforts.

Many visitors put on tefillin, assisted by a group of bochurim who came especially from Paris.

At one point during the day, it was interesting to see the bochurim dancing around a thirty year old man, who was celebrating his bar mitzvah, and putting on tefillin for the first time in his life.