Mrs. Bassie Azimov, an important figure in spearheading the Jewish religious and cultural revival in France and senior Chabad emissary to the country, passed away on Monday, November 14. She was 67. 

The daughter of Rabbi Bentzion Shemtov, a Lubavitcher chasid famed for his tenacious dedication to promoting Jewish identity and education in the darkest days of the Soviet regime, Bassie was raised with a deep commitment to the Torah and its commandments.

After marrying her husband, Rabbi Shmuel Azimov, the young couple moved to Paris, France in 1968. Once thought of as a bastion of assimilation, an influx of Jewish emigres from the French speaking countries in the Maghreb created a demographic of traditional Jews interested in furthering their religious growth. These Jews and their descendants were welcomed by the Azimovs. 

A network of schools led by the Azimovs  would grow to become an integral part of the Jewish scene in France. Their flagship campus alone, Beth Haya Mouchka, draws some 1500 girls, making it the largest Jewish school in France. A testament to Mrs. Azimov’s pioneering legacy, some 115 Chabad centers and over 450 representatives currently serve the Jewish population of France-- the largest in Western Europe-- estimated to be around 500,000. 

Mrs. Azimov is survived by her husband, Rabbi Shmuel Azimov, senior Chabad representative to France, their children, Rabbi Mendel Azimov, Mrs. Esther Marosow and Rabbi Levi Azimov - all Chabad Emissaries in Paris - as well as her siblings, the late Rabbi Mendel Shemtov, Rabbi Berel Shemtov, Director of Chabad of Michigan, Mrs. Fradel Sudak, co-director of Chabad in Great Britain, Rabbi Avraham Shemtov, chairman of the international umbrella organization of Agudas Chasidei Chabad. and Rabbi Israel Shemtov of Crown Heights.