A Torah takes one year for a qualified scribe in Israel to create an original Torah
By Rabbi Avi Richler
Rabbi Avi Richler, his wife Mina and members of Chabad of Gloucester County rented a bus on April 10 to travel to Brooklyn where they were bestowed their very own Torah. The Torah was donated to Chabad of Gloucester County by Aleksandr and Svetlana Falikman in honor of their 20th wedding anniversary.
According to Alexkandr Falikman, "My family has been so blessed. We came here from Russia with nothing and have been given the opportunity to make a beautiful life here in America. We didn't have a wedding so, we decided that in honor of our 20th anniversary we would do something special, something meaningful and important. We commissioned the creation of the Torah for our friends in Gloucester County and invited the Chabad family to celebrate our anniversary with us."
Members of Chabad of Gloucester County and the public were invited to Brooklyn to witness the "Sefer Torah Dedication." The Torah Ceremony included the partaking in the writing by hand of the final lines of the Torah with the assistance of a Scribe, followed by a buffet lunch. The Torah was then paraded through the street accompanied by live music and dancing, in a procession that began at the Venue of Completion and ended at a hall where the guests were treated to a dinner in honor of the occasion.
Rabbi Richler explains, "Having members of the community help to complete the Torah allows them to connect to their Jewish roots and the foundation of what our people have clung to for 3,000 years. People are able to symbolically purchase a letter in the Torah for $1 so that everyone can have a part of the Torah. We opened that up to everyone so that even if you cannot attend you could still feel a connection to this monumental event."
The Torah was brought back to Gloucester County that evening and on Saturday, April 16 at 11:30 a.m. a formal ceremony will take place in the Grange Hall, 78 N. Main St. in Mullica Hill, with the first reading from the new Torah. The reading will be followed by a Kiddish luncheon at 12:30 p.m. at The Grange Hall.
Rabbi Richler states, "This is a huge honor for the Gloucester County Community. To date, we have been using a borrowed Torah and now we have our very own Torah. To my knowledge it is the first new Torah to be brought to the area in years, which is very significant for our families."
Over the years Rabbi Richler shared with the Falikman's the details of how he started and continues to build the Chabad of Gloucester County and bring a Jewish presence to the area.
The Falikman's were so moved and impressed by Rabbi Richler's successes, they decided as they renewed their vows and commitment to each other and to their faith for their 20 year anniversary, they would extend a mitzvah to the Gloucester County community.
Falikman states, "This Torah means so much to me and my wife. We have been so blessed and to share in such a way to celebrate the commitment Rabbi Richler has to our faith and to building a Jewish foundation for the families throughout the Gloucester County region means the world to us."
It takes one year to have a qualified scribe in Israel to create an original Torah written on real parchment paper. The Torah is the foundation of the Jewish community and is read from every Saturday morning when celebrating the holy day of Shabbat.
Rabbi Avi Richler, Chabad of Gloucester County, Mullica Hill.