New Shluchim to France

By COLlive reporter

The number of Jews from France deciding on making Aliya to Israel has hit a 15-year high of nearly 10,000 people, according to statistics reported to the Knesset last month.

Arielle Di Porto, director of aliya at the Jewish Agency, said that most of those coming from France are young families with children, the Jerusalem Post reported.

But Chabad is staying put and even expanding its services to that demographic.

Rabbi Hershy Drookman, Director of Beth Habad in St.-Maur-des-Fossés, a commune in the southeastern suburbs of Paris, has announced this week of a new couple joining his operation.

New Shluchim Rabbi Hillel and Sheina Shish will moving in the coming weeks to St. Maur to run teens and youth programs in the community.

“Baruch Hashem, we have a very active Chabad center,” said Rabbi Drookman. “There are some 2,000 Jewish families here.”

Despite rising Aliya number and Rabbi Drookman being verbally attacked in the past on Shabbos, Chabad has no intentions of leaving.

“The new Shluchim will be running the local chapter of CTeen, our Gan Israel day camp and keep in touch with new families,” Rabbi Drookman said.

The appointment was made under the auspices of Rabbi Mendel Azimov, Head Shliach of Beth Loubavitch in Paris.