France: Chief Rabbi of Orléans Attacked While Returning from Synagogue

On Saturday evening in Orléans, France, 45-year-old Chief Rabbi Arié Engelberg was brutally attacked by a 16-year-old teenager while returning home from the synagogue with his 9-year-old son. The assailant repeatedly struck the rabbi on the head and face, bit his shoulder, and shouted antisemitic insults until a passerby intervened to stop the assault. The teenager was arrested and transferred to a psychiatric facility, and authorities are treating the incident as a hate crime.

French President Emmanuel Macron strongly condemned the attack, describing antisemitism as a "poison" and offering his full support to Rabbi Engelberg and the entire Jewish community.

The incident has reignited concerns about the rise in antisemitic acts in France, where 1,570 incidents were recorded in 2024—62% of all religiously motivated hate crimes—according to the French government.

Rabbi Engelberg serves at the Orléans synagogue, a place that is not only a center for prayer but also a hub for education and the dissemination of Jewish values. The evening following the attack, colleagues and community members gathered to express their solidarity and support for the rabbi and his family, reaffirming that no act of violence can extinguish the light of Judaism.

In the face of hatred, our response is clear: to strengthen Jewish life and respond with light.

Today, the Loiret region does not have a Mikveh. However, this essential element of Jewish purity and spirituality is a crucial need for families and the local community. Building a Mikveh means anchoring the Jewish presence, giving women, families, and future generations access to this fundamental pillar of Judaism.

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