By COLlive reporter
R’ Chmouel Valensi, a Lubavitcher chossid who lived for many years in France before making Aliya immigration to Israel 15 years ago, passed away last week.
The 69-year-old returned to Paris this month to celebrate his 70th birthday in the company of his children when he suffered from a cardiac arrest and passed away.
Valensi became fully observant and a chossid under the guidance of the legendary Paris Shliach Rabbi Shmuel Azimov OBM.
For many years, Valensi drove the bus of one of the Chabad schools in Paris. Friends also remember him working as a photographer at weddings and simchas during the 1970s.
Chmouel Valensi would regularly travel with his entire family to New York to see and be blessed by the Rebbe at Lubavitch Headquarters – 770 Eastern Parkway. They would be hosted at the home of R’ Yisroel OBM and Rochel Duchman.
Valensi’s wife, who grew up in Toulouse, was the one who sent a request directly to the Rebbe to send a Shliach to the French city, leading to the founding of Jeunesse Lubavitch – Beth Habad Toulouse by Rabbi Yosef Y. Matusof.
He is survived by his wife, children and grandchildren. He was buried at Har Hazeitim cemetery in Jerusalem.
Baruch dayan haemes.
ad mosai you should have only simchos
Bd”e. So sad may Hashem comfort the family at this difficult time . We need moshiach now no more sorrow no more pain