By COLlive reporter
Take a left and then a right off Avenue de la Republique and you hit Rue Mendel Kalmenson.
A street in the French city of Aubervilliers was recently inaugurated to honor the late Rabbi Shalom Mendel Kalmenson outside the Jewish school which he founded and directed.
When the Chabad Shliach sought permits to open the school in 1963, the city’s minister of education and a member of the French Communist Party told him: “In Aubervilliers there will be no private Jewish day school.”
The official, Jack Ralite, used his influence with the various government offices to block the opening of the school. But he underestimated Kalmenson, a chossid who survived communism, Lubavitch.com reported.
“My father was a soldier. When he believed in something, he would not give up until he saw it fulfilled, no matter how long it took and how difficult it was,” says his daughter Haya Nisilevitch, director of the Chne-Or Day School.
In April 2002, Ralite was serving as Aubervilliers’ mayor and ended up signing the permits to build the large building complex. The building was completed in 2003; Rabbi Kalmenson, now well into his 80s, had prevailed.
Today the large educational complex Chne-Or Day School counts 650 students. The Jewish community, no stranger to the curse of anti-Semitism, has had blessed quiet in recent years, with local Jews out and about wearing their identity fearlessly, Lubavitch.com reported.
At the dedication ceremony, his widow Shlucha Basya Kalmenson was flanked by her family members as the school children unveiled the street sign and recited the 12 Pesukim, and vowed to continue to live Jewishly.
As a kids my father was in this school and he made a promise to put his kids in this school…. 25 years later he come with my big brother to the school and ask them to accept my brother. .. but with the hippie look of my father they was not sure …. but my father keeps he promises and ddnt give them a choice… Everyday my brother was come home with new thing and teach my parents to keep Torah and mitsvot then sloly sloly my parents start tchouva. And then wen my father went to the Rebbe… Read more »
Allow me to share a short story. in 1973 I was learning in Brunoy. There was a Chasuna in Yerres which I attended with many other Bochrim. Late that night I was walking back to Yeshiva with a friend and was in a Happy mood. When cars Would pass us I stuck out both thumbs each one going in a different direction. as if to say I am looking for a ride in both directions. One of the cars that passed us was a Police vechile, which didnt stop so I figured we were OK. When we got to the… Read more »
Rabbi & Mrs Kalmenson together with their children and grandchildren B”h who came back to help them have built up Auberville to be the jewish way it is today. Its amazing to see!!
Rabbi Sholom Mendel Kalmenson A”H and his eshes chayil Basya (nee Chazanow)ZGZ built this mossad from scratch. He was a shochet in Paris, and she was having kinderlach KAH, so they had their hands full. Yet, they saw the need for Yiddishe children to have Yiddishkeit in their lives, so they both devoted themselves to open a school for them. You could fill a book about the challenges they faced and overcame, but Basya learned to drive a bus, and prepare lunch for the children (Europe style, our dinner type) while her own family was growing KAH. Her husband pitched… Read more »
Such a regal and special woman!!
Thats my elter bubby!! Shes so special!
Im so proud to be a descendant of Bubby and zaidy kalmenson!
Continue all your good work!!