Donor Gives Torah to Hometown

By COLlive reporter

A new Chabad House located in central Amsterdam in the Netherlands inauguration last week with fanfare and celebration, highlighted by the welcoming of a new Torah.

The ceremony began with writing the final letters at Lubavitch Headquarters – 770 Eastern Parkway in Brooklyn and the Torah was then transferred to Europe to serve the Hebrew speaking community in Amsterdam.

A parade with dancing and a chuppah led the Torah from the home of Shluchim Rabbi Akiva and Taiby Camissar to the new center with tens of people present, including the donor, real estate investor Mozes Aharon Staszewski.

Staszewski who born in The Hague and divides his time between Amsterdam and New York City, donated the Torah in memory of his parents Shlomo Dovid and Blima, of blessed memory.

Traditional Hakafos were at the Chabad Amsterdam Tourists & Israeli Center located in the southern part of the city and from there the guests continued to the central Amsterdam for the opening of the new center.

Participating the ceremonies were the local Shluchim head by Rabbi Yitzchak Vorst and Rabbi Binyomin Jacobs, Amsterdam Dayan Eliezer Wolff, Betzalel Camissar of Florida and Rabbi Chaim Hillel Azimov of Northern Cyprus.

Both centers are run by Rabbi Camissar. The new one hosts Shabbos meals for hundreds, Torah classes, holiday events and most recently, a kosher grocery store and coffee shop.

Operated the central center this past year were Chabad bochurim Ari Herzog, Ari Lipskier, Dovid Malka and Chaim Malov and they were thanked for their dedication and responsibility for the Rebbe’s Shlichus.