Shliach’s Car Torched Amid Violent Paris Riots

Rabbi Moshe Cohen, a Chabad Shliach in central Paris, discovered that his car had been completely destroyed during violent riots that swept through the French capital, leaving streets filled with burned vehicles and damaged businesses.

Rabbi Moshe Cohen, the Rebbe’s Shliach in the 11th arrondissement of Paris, France, discovered after Shabbos that his car had been completely destroyed after rioters smashed its windows and set it on fire during a wave of violent unrest that swept through the city.

The vehicle was among numerous cars torched on his street as violent demonstrations erupted across Paris on Shabbos, leaving widespread destruction in residential and commercial neighborhoods.

Despite the extensive damage, Baruch Hashem, Rabbi Cohen and his family were unharmed.

“Baruch Hashem, they were busy with the police and nothing happened to us,” Rabbi Cohen said.

The violence was part of a nationwide wave of anti-government demonstrations that escalated into widespread rioting, looting, and arson. According to France’s Interior Ministry, more than half a million people participated in approximately 110 demonstrations across the country on Saturday.

The protests, which began weeks earlier among high school students and expanded to include labor unions and others protesting the rising cost of living, deteriorated into some of the most destructive unrest France has experienced in decades.

Authorities reported that approximately 1,500 shops were vandalized, at least 3,000 businesses were looted nationwide, and nearly 2,400 people were arrested.

In Paris, much of the violence centered around Place de la République, an area where several Chabad Shluchim live and operate Chabad centers serving the local Jewish community.

Rabbi Cohen, who has directed Beth Loubavitch Paris 11 together with his wife, Tzipora, since 2010, described how the situation deteriorated throughout Shabbos.

While Shabbos morning passed relatively peacefully, by the afternoon, protesters had filled the streets surrounding his home. Later in the day, the crowds became increasingly violent, with groups of rioters carrying Molotov cocktails, smashing storefronts, and setting vehicles and bicycles ablaze.

“They organized themselves in groups of 10, with Molotov cocktails,” Rabbi Cohen recalled.

After Shabbos, he discovered the burned remains of his vehicle. Security camera footage confirmed that rioters had smashed its windows and set it on fire during Shabbos, destroying the car’s interior.

Nearby, Rabbi Meir Shlomo Lubecki, Shliach to Paris’s 3rd arrondissement, described scenes of extensive destruction surrounding his Chabad House.

“You’ve never seen anything like this,” Rabbi Lubecki said. “Everything on the ground was torched: cars, shops, bicycles.”

As the violence intensified on Shabbos afternoon, members of the Jewish community’s volunteer security service warned congregants to return home immediately.

Rabbi Lubecki, his wife Chaya, and their children remained inside the Chabad House as the unrest continued outside. Despite the dangerous conditions, eight men managed to attend Mincha services.

After Shabbos, the family drove through streets filled with masked rioters and burning debris to reach their home in a quieter neighborhood.

The following morning, despite the destruction, the Chabad House resumed its regular activities, with a Minyan and children arriving for Talmud Torah.

In the aftermath of the riots, the Shluchim began reaching out to Jewish business owners whose stores had been vandalized or looted, offering assistance and encouragement.

Rabbi Cohen emphasized that the violence did not appear to have specifically targeted Jews, noting that Jewish and non-Jewish businesses alike suffered extensive damage.

“It wasn’t about the Jews,” he said. “They were chasing what they wanted: shoes, phones, glasses. Jewish and non-Jewish businesses alike were hit.”

Alongside efforts to assist affected businesses, Rabbi Cohen has been distributing Mezuzahs and encouraging Jewish residents to have their Mezuzahs checked.

Despite the destruction and concerns over further demonstrations, the Shluchim remain determined to continue their activities.

“Whatever our people need, we are here,” Rabbi Cohen said. “It’s hashgachah pratit that we’re here, and we will continue to proudly do the Rebbe’s work.”

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