By COLlive reporter
Three major events took place last week in the Jewish community of Cannes in France organized by Rabbi Yehuda Leib Matusof and his son Rabbi Mendel Matusof, Chabad Shluchim in Cannes and the region.
The first event was the inauguration of the new building of the Jewish School of Cannes, home to 140 students, from kindergarten to junior high school.
A major project to extend the building was started in 2016 in an effort to double the space to 1200 square meter. The inauguration was an opportunity for the community to tour the magnificent premises, as well as the new playground on the roof terrace.
Dignitaries present were Rabbi Israel Meir Lau, former Chief Rabbi of Israel and Chairman of Yad Vashem; Patrick Petit-Ohayon, President of the FSJU Jewish educational organization; Rabbi Yossef Matusof from Toulouse, Rabbi Yossef Pinson from Nice, Rabbi Reuven Matusof from Lichka Loubavitch in Paris.
Participants heard from Rabbi Youdi Lewin, Rabbi Mendel Matusof, Mr. Petit-Ohayon and the Mayor of Cannes. The event included the unveiling of the sign, a musical show by the students, cutting the ribbon and a hearty buffet.
Chief Rabbi Lau, a survivor of the Nazi concentration camp in Buchenwald, expressed his emotion at the sight that Jewish education continues to develop in Europe.
“No one will change the past but we have the power, and the duty, to change the future!” he said and was applauded at length with a standing ovation, and tears could be seen streaming down the eyes of many people. In the crowd was a family whose father suffered with Rabbi Lau in Buchenwald.
2 News Mikvahs
A second event took place on the same day: the groundbreaking of the new Mikvah at Chabad of Cannes. The Rabbanim and the personalities laid the first stone, blessing the donors who contribute to the building of the Mikvah.
Upon arriving at the scene, Rabbi Lau noticed the red carpet installed for the occasion. “I can see that we are in Cannes, the city of the Festival,” he says humorously, “but it is here, in this Mikvah and in this School, that the real glitter shines! It is here that the spiritual truth is found, it is in these places that the future generation is built.”
The next day, Rabbi Lau participated in the inauguration of the Mikvah of Frejus St. Raphael. A 45 minute drive from Cannes, it is home to a small Jewish community, and building a Mikvah was a difficult challenge.
With many efforts invested by Shliach Rabbi Meir Altabe, the mikvah was finally built and will be available to both the local community and the many tourists in the summer season.
The entire local Jewish community was present for this historic event, and Rabbi Altabe thanked the Rabbinical Center of Europe and the Mikvah Tahara organization for their support.
Rabbi Lau spoke of the history of this place: 2000 years ago, Frejus was an important Roman city, and it is known that Jews lived there at the time. “Frejus has been waiting 2000 years for the construction of a Mikvah!” he said.
Rabbi Mendel Matusof warmly thanked all those who participated in the creation of this Mikvah: “You have brought fresh water into the desert.”
After cutting the ribbon, the Mezuzos were affixed, and the Mikvah’s exceptional beauty was applauded at length.
In occasion of this historic visit, the famous book “Chabad in Morocco”, edited by the Matusof family, was presented to Rabbi Lau.
