US/World News

2 Jewish billionaires pledge $122 million toward restoring Notre Dame

(JTA) – Two Jewish billionaires have pledged a total of $122 million toward the restoration of Paris’ Notre Dame cathedral, which was ravaged in a fire. Lily Safra, a Brazilian philanthropist, said she would give $22 million to fund the restoration efforts of the church, Correio 24 Horas reported. Françoise Bettencourt Meyers, the French owner of L’Oreal, pledged another $100 million, according to CBS. The donations account for about 17 percent of the $700 million collected so far for the restoration.

Bettencourt Meyers’s father, Andre Bettencourt, wrote numerous articles for two pro-Nazi publications during World War II, one of which was financed by the Nazi government in Germany. Bettencourt Meyers married Jean-Pierre Meyers, a French Jewish businessman descended from a family of rabbis, and converted to Judaism. She has led and donated to interfaith initiatives connecting Christians and Jews.

Meanwhile, the American Jewish Committee announced April 17 that it will donate funds to help repair Notre Dame. “Whether Catholic or not, Notre Dame Cathedral is an integral part of our shared legacy and soul. It represents centuries of French and European faith, culture, history and imagination,” AJC CEO David Harris said in a statement.

SHARE
RELATED POSTS
Philadelphia Jewish cemetery vandalized
Gilbert Gottfried foul-mouthed comic persona concealed a content Jewish dad
Sherman quits Boteach Iran confab following ‘vulgar’ ad

Leave Your Reply