By COLlive reporter
Days before the Canadian providence of Quebec headed to a crucial legislative election, there was another campaign around the large city of Montreal.
With the help of activist Rabbi Dovid Cohen, the City of Montreal and the Police Department of Quebec permitted for 5 Mitzvah Tanks to parade in the city streets and encourage Jewish people to celebrate the holiday of Pesach.
The parade commemorated the 112th birthday of the Rebbe on the 11th of Nissan and was coordinated by Rabbi Mendy Wilansky with the help of Yisroel Cohen and Avraham Menachem Freundlich.
Members of the Jewish community in Montreal helped sponsor it, in an effort to inspire as many Jews as possible to do a Mitzvah and attend a Pesach seder.
The ‘tanks’ were equipped with tens of bochurim who with Matzos, Tefillin, and Shabbos candles set out upon the city and gave them out to hundreds of unaffiliated Jews.
Saluting the parade, aside from all the people who stared in wonder, were the children from Tomchei Temimim, and Beis Rivkah who came out to salute the parade and the Tankistim – Rabbis Yitzchok Lebovics, Mendel Zilberstein, Chaim Zirkind and Leibele Rodal.
On Friday morning, two of the tanks parked in front of Beis Rivkah, and every class was given an opportunity to enter the tank, say a Berocho over a treat, give some Tzedokah, and say the 12 Pesukim. Over 350 girls from preschool through Elementary did a Mitzvah in the tank.
“It’s been 40 years since the Rebbe introduced Mitzvah tanks, and we decided to add a limousine to our tank parade,” Wilansky said. Yeshiva students had to memorize lines of Mishnayos, and a spot in the limousine was raffled off to one boy in each class. Ultimately, more than 2,000 lines of Mishnayos were learned.
never fails!! mendy @ his greatest! always to perfection! so, so, proud to be related!! keep up the good work,and keep making the rebbe proud!
Go Mendy Wilansky gr8 work!!!!!
You guys don’t give up even in the snow… keep up the great work!
A Special thanks to Rabbi Dovid Cohen for all your outstanding effort and help with the Lubavitche community and the entire Jewish community of Montreal
Thank you
Go savti
Kol HaKavod!