The visit of the Tomchei Tmimim Yeshiva in Brunoy to the famous Normandy beaches was a significant and emotional event that took place befor the “bein hazmanim” (inter-sessional break). Rabbi Shmuel Brodowicz, head of the first-year class at the Tomchei Tmimim Yeshiva in Brunoy, led his students on a journey to explore the historical story of the renowned D-Day beaches.
The trip, organized by the Rebbe’s emissary in the city of Caen, Rabbi Moti Lewin, included an in-depth study of the history of the 1930s and 1940s, the period when the Rebbe resided in France, and the involvement of the Previous Rebbe (the Rebbe Rayatz) in rescuing his son-in-law and daughter during World War II, as well as the events leading up to the Allied invasion of Normandy.
During the visit, the students toured fighter planes and bunkers, recited Kaddish in the cemetery in memory of the heroic soldiers, and sang Chabad melodies. The journey also included special experiences such as jeep rides and visits to key historical battle sites.
Among other things, they visited the nearby town of Cabourg, where they met with the emissary Rabbi Shlomo Levin, who spoke with the students about the importance of outreach and spreading Judaism. A highlight of the visit was their participation in writing a letter in a Torah scroll that was being written specifically across the D-Day beaches, in Nazi bunkers, near historic bridges, and on the beaches, in memory and honor of the fallen soldiers. The letters were written by the Torah scribe, Rabbi Shalom Dovber Lewin, the Rebbe’s emissary and Rabbi of the city of Le Havre in Upper Normandy.
In the city of Caen, the students sang “The Grandeur and the Faith,” a revolutionary melody sung as the French anthem, in front of the city hall, in a stirring and uplifting atmosphere.
The visit concluded with a festive meal and joyous dancing at a Farbrengen with Rabbi Aryeh Tzvi Nisselewitz, the Rebbe’s Shliach in Drancy, who inspired the students with his lively spirit and unique sense of humor. The event took place at the newly acquired Chabad House in Caen, recently purchased by the emissaries Rabbi Moti and Zlata Lewin. The Chabad House will serve as a community center, event hall, kosher store, guest rooms for students and families of patients, the city’s first mikveh, and a kindergarten.
