THE INVASION OF NORMANDY
The invasion of Normandy, codenamed “Operation Overlord” was the major invasion of the Allied forces, on the Normandy coast of occupied France. It took place on June 6, 1944, exactly eighty years ago, as part of the Western Front in World War II.
On the first day of the invasion, about 156,000 Allied soldiers landed on Normandy soil from the sea and the air, with the help of about 12,000 aircraft, and about 6,939 vessels.
It was the largest naval landing operation in history, tens of thousands of soldiers from the most powerful armies in the world participated in the historic operation to “liberate Europe” from the Nazi occupation and their collaborators.
The invasion of the beaches of Normandy, accompanied by many deaths and soul sacrifices, marked the beginning of the end of Nazi Germany, and the Holocaust in which over six million Jews were murdered HY”D.
REMEMBERING THE JEWISH SOLDIERS
Around the world, and especially in the country of France, and along the beaches of Normandy, state ceremonies were held to commemorate the day, in memory of the heroes who gave their lives on D-DAY, including many Jewish soldiers, from the armies of the United States and Great Britain, Canada, Australia, and more.
In the territory of the invasion there are several military cemeteries, memorial sites, and museums, and the local Chabad Shluchim are quite busy.
The Rebbe’s Shluchim, Rabbi Moti and his wife Mrs. Zlata Lewin, manage the Chabad House and Chabad institutions in the city of Coon, one of the most important and central cities in the Normandy region.
The couple maintains close ties with the municipal authorities and with the directors of the memorial sites, and constantly hosts the many Jewish tourists and groups that come to the place throughout the year.
In a special ceremony on June 6, all the names of the fallen, mostly young Jews who had not yet had the chance to start a family, were rreadingand and at the end a moving Kaddish was recited. There are about 22 Jews in the British cemetery, 36 Jews in the Canadian cemetery, and 150 Jews in the American cemetery.
THE WRITING OF A TORAH SCROLL
About a decade ago, when the Shluchim arrived on the scene, and to mark the seventy-year anniversary of the invasion, the writing of a special Torah scroll was begun to perpetuate the memory of all the Jewish martyrs who fell in this land.
Every time tourists arrive, whether it be organized tours of Jewish communities, relatives of the fallen, or delegations from Jewish schools from all over France, they are honored to write letters in this unique Torah.
The Jewish tourists, many of whom are not observant, happily agree to roll up their sleeves and place a tefillin for the upliftment of the souls of the heroic soldiers, or to take upon themselves to light Shabbat candles.
D-DAY FROM THE POINT OF VIEW OF A JEWISH SOLDIER
The many museums that are scattered in the area and attract millions of tourists from around the world, hardly tell the tragedy of the Jewish people, nor the heroism of the thousands of Jewish soldiers who participated in the effort to save their brothers and sisters on the European continent.
The Rebbe’s emissaries developed an educational program of commemoration with Jewish motifs, during which visitors are educated on the chain of events of D-DAY from the point of view of a Jewish soldier who took part in the invasion.
A BAR MITZVAH AT 53
Just this year, a tour guide arrived among the many visitors to the memorial. After sharing the fact that his mother was a Jew, an exciting Bar Mitzvah ceremony was immediately held for him, as he put on tefillin for the very first time, at the age of fifty-three!
For teenagers who visit, there is a special program that includes jeep tours, entry to German army bunkers, allied planes, and more. And of course, the highlight, participating in the writing of the Torah that perpetuates the memory of the Jewish soldiers.
NEW CHABAD CENTER TO BE BUILT
The great news, on the occasion of the 80th anniversary, is the news that the Rebbe’s emissaries have signed a contract for the purchase of a large area, on which a huge building will be erected, which will be a beacon of Jewish light and warmth, which will include a Chabad house, a visitor center, an activity club for youth and adults, the first Mikvah Tahara in this part of the country, a kosher food market, kindergartens a day nursery, and a hall for celebrations and events, as well as guest rooms for short stays.
