100-Year-Old Fulfills Dream Of Immigrating To Israel, Dies In His Sleep The Next Day

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JERUSALEM (VINnews) — Meir Halimi dreamed of immigrating to Israel all of his life. At the age of 100 years old, Halimi realized his dream as he left his native Nice and immigrated to the land he longed for. Less than 24 hours later, he passed away in his sleep and was buried in the Holy Land.

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Halimi was born in Algeria. At the age of 20 he enlisted in the French army and fought the Nazis. For his courage and sagacity in the war, he received the Knight of the French Legion medal as well as other honors. At the end of the Second World War, Halimi settled in Nice where he first ran a local grocery and then a branch of the Renault company.

Halimi married Odette and the two had three sons: Gille (67), Mark (65) and Michel (58).

“Father was a heart and soul Zionist,” his son Michel recalls. “He always helped and contributed to people in Israel, both from the Jewish and non-Jewish communities. He was a charitable person, a special and unusual person loved by all.”

40 years ago Meir purchased burial plots for himself and his wife in Givat Shaul cemetery, Jerusalem. “Daddy prepared everything. He didn’t want to be buried in France, he wanted to make Aliya and be buried in Israel. He saw Israel as his home,” Michel adds.

Odette passed away a year and a half ago and was buried in Israel. Meir was left alone in Nice. Gille, who until recently directed a hospital in Marseilles, took care of his father together with his brothers. However during the period of coronavirus they did not visit him for fear of infecting him with the virus. “It was a tough period for us and for father since we couldn’t see him, visit him or take care of his welfare,” Michel recalls. “Yet despite this Daddy managed to survive the period of coronavirus alive.”

A week ago Meir and Gille immigrated to Israel. “Daddy understood that it was difficult in France to be without the family and decided to immigrate with my brother,” Michel said.

At his advanced age, Meir was supposed to receive assistance from the Jewish Agency and live in an old age home in Israel but first he was isolated in his aunt’s home in Jerusalem.

“Daddy was tired from the flights. He flew with my brother from Marseilles to Paris and from there to Israel. When he saw me and my brother he opened his eyes and was very alert. He felt OK,” Michel says.

The next day, less than 24 hours after arriving in Israel, he died in his sleep.

“Only righteous men die in their sleep,” Michel says tearfully. “Daddy was like that. He came to Israel, realized his dream and it is truly symbolic that he died there and was buried there as he requested in his will. He merited immigrating to Israel, living and dying there.”

Meir Halimi was buried next to his wife Odette in the Givat Shaul cemetery.

 

 

 


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6 Comments
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Liam K. Nuj
Liam K. Nuj
3 years ago

Truly amazing

Kollelfaker
Kollelfaker
3 years ago

BDE st lead the got his dream
And died in the holy land of isreal

In the end
In the end
3 years ago

He must have been such a kodesh Jew that Hashem might extend his life span just enough for him to complete his journey.

And have a shorter final leg when mashiach comes.

anaymous
anaymous
3 years ago

What truly amazing story. I only hope and pray that I will one day be able follow the footsteps of this proud YID..May his memory be a blessing to his family & all of Klal Yisroel

Jewish mother
Jewish mother
3 years ago

B’DH

Anonymous
Anonymous
3 years ago

“Father was a heart and soul Zionist,” his son Michel recalls.

He presumably means that his father cared for Jews, heart and soul, not that he was a Zionist heretic, CH”V.