A Journey of Faith: From Paris to the Heart of Jerusalem

Entering Shoshana Bechar's Jerusalem home, where she has lived for the past forty years, it feels as if she is an intrinsic part of the city's human tapestry. The warmth and simplicity are heartwarming, and her connection to Jerusalem seems so natural and deep-rooted. Yet, behind the domestic facade lies an amazing story of a tumultuous life journey that led Shoshana from a life far from Torah and Mitzvahs to embracing authentic Judaism. In fact, until she moved to Israel, she didn't even know the language.

"I was born and raised in Paris," recounts Shoshana, "in a home that identified as Jewish-Zionist but was entirely detached from observing mitzvot and halacha. Our lives were steeped in the Parisian atmosphere, a city of freedom and loosened boundaries, as far from Torah as east from west. Today, looking back, I realize that only a revealed miracle, an extraordinary *siyata d'shmaya*, could have guided me from that life to observing Torah and Mitzvot. It's simply unimaginable, utterly illogical."

Paris (photo: shutterstock)

Judaism in Paris

"My first encounter with Judaism was at age 12," Shoshana continues her story. "Although my parents didn't know much about Judaism, my mother said to me, 'I heard something happens when you turn 12, so let me send you to the synagogue near our house.' There, I discovered for the first time that there was such a thing as Hebrew letters. Initially, I learned the Aleph-Bet, and then I began to take an interest in halacha and mitzvot. Eventually, I started observing Shabbat. I would lock myself in my room and set a Shabbat table, while my parents, as well as my brother and sister, stayed outside doing as they pleased. Honestly, I felt quite isolated during that time."

One day, when Shoshana went to buy kosher meat from the only store in the area selling kosher food, she noticed a large sign announcing the establishment of a large Jewish center.

"I called the phone number on the notice," she says, "and it turned out to be a Chabad emissary who arrived after the Lubavitcher Rebbe said, 'There will be a large Jewish center in Paris.' The emissary explained to me the importance of mitzvot in Judaism, answered my questions, and finally invited me to his home for Shabbat meals, explaining that it wasn't good for me to be alone. So I started coming regularly to the Chabad house, and in no time, I was fully observing mitzvot."

How did your parents react?

"My father didn't like, to say the least, all the dishes I brought home, claiming that only they could be used, and my insistence on food different from theirs. My mother didn't agree with my path, but she understood me and even suggested that we bring the Chabad emissary to kasher our kitchen and that she would buy only kosher products for me."

"My father heard about it and insisted that kosher meat didn't taste good, but one day my mother decided to try. She bought kosher meat, cooked it well, and served it to my father. He enjoyed it and complimented her wholeheartedly. When he asked, 'Where did you buy this?' she told him about the kosher store. From then on, he never commented again."

Jerusalem (photo: shutterstock)

A Journey to Jerusalem

Despite finding herself drawn closer to Judaism and traditions, Shoshana never imagined making aliyah. "On the contrary," she notes, "when I was 19, I was actually planning to fly to New York to receive a dollar from the Lubavitcher Rebbe. The flight to America was very expensive, but it was important to me, so I decided to go."

"But just before the flight, someone at the Chabad house told me about a unique program for a trip to Israel, organized by the 'Aliyah Movement.' He explained that the cost was symbolic, and at that moment, I felt a curiosity and a strong, tangible desire to go to Israel."

"This led me to leave my position as a senior secretary for two psychologists and fly to Israel, even though it was during the First Lebanon War. I wasn't afraid; the ideal outweighed everything. The group I joined was made up of many other young men and women—all of them born in France—and it was very unusual during the war to see an entire bus of tourists coming to travel."

"To my great delight and with great *siyata d'shmaya*, we were blessed with an exceptionally professional guide who led us and provided fascinating guidance. He explained that he 'won't take us to the Kotel first, like other guides,' because he wanted us to experience some Jewish history and connect to it first. Instead, he chose to take us to Elon Moreh, where the Bible began with Abraham our father. We then visited the Cave of the Patriarchs, Rachel's Tomb, the graves of the righteous in Safed and Meron, and other fascinating historical sites."

"The guide, who indeed operated uniquely, used the long drives to sit next to each passenger on the bus and converse with them, showing interest in their lives and trying to help them practically. When one of the girls told him she had studied nursing, he offered her: 'Stay in the country, and I'll arrange a job for you at Shaare Zedek.' To another passenger who was about to be drafted into the French army, he announced: 'You'll stay in the country and study a profession here,' and he continued to move from one passenger to another, expertly managing to make us all fall in love with the land, and even if not deciding to live there, at least consider the option."

"When he reached me, I informed him in advance that I was returning to France and that his efforts were futile. But when he saw that I was open to discussion, he decided: 'Tomorrow we'll arrive at the school of Prof. Yehuda Leon Ashkenazi, known as 'Manitou,' and you'll come with me to his office.' I couldn't refuse, and so it was. The next day, I arrived at Rabbi Ashkenazi's school, listened to the lessons, and suddenly felt a clear realization of my Jewish identity hit me. I grasped that although my family lived in France, a day would soon come when we would all aspire to be in Israel, for that is the place for all Jews."

"During that encounter, Prof. Rabbi Manitou introduced me to the school and a special study program designed to allow women and girls from France to learn about Jewish history for a year, expose themselves to Hebrew, and return home with more knowledge and a stronger connection to the land and tradition. More than that, the project aimed to send representatives to France who would learn these subjects and spread them further. The program wasn't suitable for me at the time because I didn't meet the acceptance criteria, but this exposure fascinated me greatly."

"In the meantime, the trip came to an end, and as the guide promised us – the final stop was the Western Wall, where an amazing scene awaited. Seven people from our group took their plane tickets and tore them, clarifying to everyone that they were staying in the land. I wasn't among them, but nonetheless, I didn't return with everyone on the flight, as I stayed a bit longer with my aunt in the country."

"The following morning, to my great surprise, I received a phone call from Rabbi Prof. Manitou, who informed me that a spot had opened up in the project, and he was going to include me. It was a huge surprise, as I was certain I was returning to France to continue my work as a senior secretary. Luckily, my sister had just completed her studies and was available to replace me at work, so I knew I could study in the country with my important position secured abroad."

Coming Full Circle

Shoshana's path continued through several institutions, including the Maayanot School and the Or HaChaim Institute, where a first group of French-speaking women returning to Judaism was formed. "Alongside religious studies, I also specialized in Hebrew and English teaching," she shares. "Two years later, I decided to make aliyah permanently, with a clear desire for my children to be born in the country and be natives. That dream, *Baruch Hashem*, came true, and today, not only are my four children native Israelis, but so are my grandchildren."

Shortly afterwards, Shoshana met her husband, and they chose to live in the Talpiot neighborhood of Jerusalem. Eventually, they felt compelled to strengthen communities in settlements and moved to live in Nokdim, where Shoshana engages in community activities and her husband studies rabbinics in the nearby city of Efrat.

Shoshana soon started initiating strengthening meetings and community-building events. "I founded an association of French-speaking teaching graduates, and at the same time, I began to invest in organizing vacations. Over time, I initiated very unique 'health retreats' with healthy conditions and pampering treatments. These retreats became highly popular and were in great demand for several years."

"Today, I continue to work and organize programs while hosting groups at my home in Jerusalem, conducting workshops, and of course, being on-call as a loving grandmother, striving to help babysit the grandchildren as much as possible."

Shoshana's story also includes a fascinating full circle: "I had the privilege of bringing my parents to the country over 30 years ago," she notes. "They arrived here around the age of 60, and both passed away recently. My father used to say, 'I don't understand why everyone comes to Israel in coffins; the goal is not to die in the land but to live in it.' I see this as a legacy and continue to do everything I can to help more Jews from France come to the Holy Land, because it truly is the best place for all of us."