Ephraim Mol, 85, OBM

By COLlive reporter

R’ Ephraim Mol, a Lubavitcher chossid who survived the Holocaust and was slated to appear at a national event in Israel, passed away on Thursday night, eve of 30 Nissan 5783.

He was 85 and suffered a stroke while visiting the Yad Vashem Museum in Jerusalem.

Mol was born on March 9th, 1938, in Uccle, a suburb of Brussels, Belgium. In September 1942, Ephraim’s parents attempted to escape Nazi-occupied Belgium via Besançon, France.

They planned to reach Switzerland in order to receive asylum, but were arrested en route by the German Gestapo.

Ephraim and his parents were separated – Ephraim was sent to a monastery at Besançon, where he was cared for, along with other Jewish children, by nuns; whereas his parents were taken to the Drancy transit camp and from there were deported to Auschwitz.

Ephraim was later adopted by the Weils, a French Jewish couple. As deportations of Jews in Paris intensified in 1942, Lucie Cartier hid the family in her house, and located a hiding place for Ephraim in an apartment in the suburbs of Paris, where she tended to him until liberation in the summer of 1944.

VIDEO: Like A Door Opening to the World – The Story of Ephraim Mol

After liberation, Ephraim completed his studies and enlisted to the French standing army, taking part in the Algerian War.

Following his discharge, he immigrated to Israel, settling in the Sde Eliyahu kibbutz. He later married Rachel and the two have children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren.

He proudly served in the Israel Defense Forces and was drawn to Chassidus, soon becoming a Lubavitcher chossid and follower of the Rebbe.

Mol was selected to recite the ‘Kel Maleh’ memorial prayer at the opening ceremony of the Holocaust Remembrance Day 2023 at Yad Vashem in Jerusalem this week.

On Sunday, he was one of the survivors who met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at his office.

“I hope my grandchildren and great-grandchildren will be proud of their grandfather and great-grandfather,” Mol told COL.org.il ahead of the ceremony.

“I have chosen to have my son Yoel, who is named after my father and who volunteers in Israel’s border control. It will be a double kiddush Hashem.”

As he was rehearsing for his role, Mol suffered a stroke and was hospitalized to the Shaarei Tzedek Hospital. At the ceremony, Netanyahu and President Issac Herzog inquired about Mol’s health. He sadly passed away.

In a statement, Netanyahu wrote: “My wife Sarah and I were saddened to hear of the passing of Holocaust survivor Ephraim Mol. Just a few days ago I met with Ephraim, who was chosen to pray the prayer “Kel Maleh Rachamim” on the eve of Holocaust Remembrance Day. We would like to send our heartfelt condolences to his wife Rachel and children. May his memory be for a blessing.”

The levaya will take place on Friday, 11:00 AM leaving from his home on Aharon Brand in Jerusalem, passing the Beis Shlomo shul to burial on Har Hazeisim.

Baruch Dayan Haemes.