Since October 2011, we have been restoring our Czech Memorial Holocaust Torah. On three occasions since October, we have joined together in small groups to rewrite a Hebrew letter in our Torah. It is the 613th mitzvah to write a Torah, and by joining our hand with our Sofer’s, we performed this mitzvah. In addition to restoring our Torah, we had opportunities to explore Torah through artistic expressions of painting, collage, poetry, and more. CBB is planning for a rededication of our Torah on Saturday, April 13, 2013.
Click Here for Photos of Past Letter Writing Sessions
Living Torah Videos:
Yom HaShoah Ceremony – April 18, 2012
Frequently Asked Questions
Click here to see the list of frequently asked questions.
About the Czech Holocaust Torah
Thirty years ago, the Abrahams Family sponsored the acquisition of a Torah from Pribram, Czechoslovakia. This beloved and aging Torah is one of over 1500 scrolls gathered in Prague during the Nazi occupation, and later rescued by The Westminster Trust in London (czechmemorialscrollstrust.org). Much of the Jewish community in Czechoslovakia perished in the Holocaust, and so, post-war, The Westminster Trust took on the task of finding homes for these orphaned Torahs. Our Torah, usually housed in the main ark at CBB, is brought out and read from on Yom Kippur afternoon.
Our Czech Memorial Torah is over 200 years old and contains a unique combination of Ashkenazi and Sephardic characters as well as some Kabbalistic symbols. Many of the letters are crumbling and some of the bindings and parchment need to be repaired. With the help of a generous gift from The Stein Family, we have engaged Sofer Neil Yerman to perform the restoration at his New York studio (www.neilyerman.com). Over the next several months, Sofer Yerman will be visiting CBB and bringing the Torah back so that we can witness and take part in the restoration.
Write a Hebrew Letter in the Torah
Our hope is that everyone writes a letter in Our Torah. Letter writing sessions with Sofer Yerman at CBB take place in groups of approximately 25 writers at a time and last approximately 90 minutes.
There is a suggested donation of $36 per writer, and all contributions help fund the restoration process, programming and ongoing care for our Torahs. Additional donations are welcome and will enable everyone to participate and take part in this mitzvah.
The first sessions took place Sunday, October 30 and Monday, October 31st. We are planning many Living Torah programs and opportunities for expression through study, art, music and conversation in an evolving curriculum throughout the year. We hope that you find your own personal connection to Torah, whether it is the first time or reconnecting over a lifetime.
If you have any questions about the Living Torah project, please contact Project Chair Elizabeth Gaynes at egaynes@yahoo.com.