Top French Rabbi Travels to Israel for Mother's Memorial

The venerable Rabbi Mordechai Assaraf, the chief rabbi and head of a yeshiva in France, who is nearing 90 years old, traveled to Israel during the High Holy Days to commemorate his mother, the late Rabbi Esther Assaraf. His mother is buried in the Har HaMenuchot cemetery in Jerusalem, near the tomb of Rabbi Chaim David Azulai.

This pilgrimage holds particular significance due to the many years that have passed since his mother's passing and the vast geographical distance between France, where Rabbi Assaraf resides and serves, and Jerusalem.

The act powerfully illustrates the commandment of honoring one's parents, even long after their death. Rabbi Esther Assaraf was known for her exceptional piety. She and her husband, Rabbi Avraham Assaraf, lived in Tel Mond upon their immigration to Israel, and in her later years, she resided in Bnei Brak. She was renowned for her extreme righteousness, habitually fasting every Rosh Chodesh (the first day of the Hebrew month), and passed away at the age of 90.