Jewish community members and guests gathered in Normandy, France, to mark the 73rd anniversary of the invasion by Western allies in World War II. The event, sponsored by Chabad-Lubavitch centers along the Normandy coast, first gathered at the Bény-sur-Mer Canadian War Cemetery, where many young Jewish soldiers are buried, before heading to the memorial at Pointe du Hoc, which stands between Omaha and Utah beaches.
There, in a German bunker at the site, a sofer inscribed the final letters of a Torah scroll dedicated to the Jewish soldiers who died there. Among the throngs of people were older Jews who have been living in Normandy for decades, not having left this region in northwestern France since Allied forces entered the city on their way to liberate occupied Europe.