CELEBRATING THE DEDICATION OF OUR NEW TORAH, SEPT. 25, 2005
Eating dinner before the formal celebration
When God gave us the Torah on Sinai," Rabbi Stern said, "the midrash says everyone was there. Every one of you, no matter when you were born, was there at Sinai."
Isaac Winer a certified scribe who lives in Willowbrook, was on hand to help congregants complete the writing of the Torah, most of which was written in Israel. "I don't let anyone actually write," said Winer. "They hold the feather while I write. It's not kosher unless everything is done the right way." This symbolic adding a letter to the Torah, fulfilled the mitzvah for every Jew to complete a Torah in his or her lifetime. Families that contributed to the Torah fund were called to the front of the synagogue's social hall to complete the writing.
Pictures: Mark Zalkin performing the honor of hagbah (above left); Mathew Abramowitz, 13, of Rossville, had the honor of carrying the Torah under a chuppah into the sanctuary because he donated $500 of his bar mitzvah money to the Torah fund (above middle), and the Siyyum HaTorah, ptocession of the Torah under the chuppah from the social hall to the bimah in the sanctuary (last three pictures)
Traditional dancing around the sanctuary to the music of Alicia Svigals Klezmer Fiddle Express
Pictures above: taking out all the Torahs from the Ark; the procession of all the Torahs around the sanctuary; returning the Torahs to the Ark, with the new Torah
Picture left: Synagogue President, Phyllis Fine thanking all the members of the synagogue who contributed to the Torah Fund, raising nearly $20,000