Marseille Jewish Community Dedicates Sefer Torah to Yad Mordechai Base, Near Gaza Strip

By Hamodia Staff

Jewish communities around the world are striving to help the Jews of Israel during the ongoing war. The Jewish community of Marseille decided to unite to make a significant and honorable donation to the Yad Mordechai base near the Gaza Strip, which was damaged during Hamas’s brutal attack on Oct. 7.

The initiative was led by the city’s Rabbi, Rabbi Reuven Ohana, a member of the European Rabbinical Conference’s Great Court, who called on all the city’s children to donate money for this noble cause — a sefer Torah in memory of the IDF soldiers who fell at the base during the Hamas attack. Each child above bar mitzvah age donated 10 euros, and those below bar mitzvah age donated five euros each, accumulating a respectable amount for a beautiful sefer Torah.

Adults also participated, with members of Rabbi Ohana’s community deciding to support the initative. The large Jewish community in Marseille contributed generously, enabling the renovation of the small, neglected shul at the base, which was 15 square meters, transforming it into a grand, inviting, and spacious shul.

Yehuda Cohen, a member of the community, shared, “A few weeks ago, Rabbi Ohana initiated the event, rallying the community members — both young and old — to join in the sorrow of Israel. Rabbi Ohana wanted a joint initiative for everyone, unlike previous individual efforts. For example, doctors from the community volunteered in Israel, and many donated significant sums. However, the Rav envisioned something that would unite the entire community, leading to the idea of the sefer Torah. Additionally, he wanted the children to contribute, and indeed, thousands of children gave their pocket money.”

Cohen further described the moving initiative: “We decided to place the sefer Torah at the Yad Mordechai base because, on Oct. 7, the base was severely damaged, and several servicemen were killed. The shul there was very small, and since renovations had begun, they sought donations for the shul’s refurbishment. We transformed a 20-square-meter shul into a grand, renovated 50-60 square meter one, all thanks to the contributions from the community in Marseille.”

Indeed, last Wednesday, the renovated shul was inaugurated, and the exquisite sefer Torah was dedicated in a touching and special ceremony, leaving no dry eyes. The event’s initiator and Marseille’s Rabbi spoke at the ceremony, emphasizing the honor of standing by Israel in its difficult times.

Among his remarks, Rabbi Ohana said, “I found nothing more fitting to do — something that unites all factions of the Jewish people. Chazal said there are three important things: the people of Israel, the Torah of Israel, and the land of Israel, and here, all three were fulfilled.”

“How were the three things fulfilled?” Rabbi Ohana asked, and answered, “We came from the diaspora and united with the people of Israel — that’s the meaning of the people of Israel. It’s a bridge between the youth in our community and the soldiers, and between the adults and the mispallelim in the renovated shul. All this happens in the land of Israel, and, of course, we dedicated a sefer Torah, which is the Torah of Israel.”

Notably, when the large delegation arrived in Israel, Rabbi Ohana took them to Bnei Brak to daven at the city’s cemetery. They offered an emotional tefillah at the kevarim of the Steipler, Harav Elazar Menachem Shach, and Harav Chaim Kanievsky, zt”l. They also had a special meeting with Jerusalem’s Chief Rabbi, the Rishon LeTzion Harav Shlomo Amar.