10 Sifrei Torah Burn in Netanya
A fire that started in the Shifat Revivim synagogue near the Chabad neighborhood in Netanya, Israel Monday night incinerated 10 Sifrei Torah, some of them critically. There were no human casualties. Naftali David, head of the Hatzolah organization in the Sharon valley told the website that “the firefighting teams that reached the holy ark rescued […]
Streisand, on Tour of Israel, Slams Ultra-Orthodox Treatment of Women
Entertainment star Barbra Streisand waded into one of Israel’s touchiest issues Monday on the first major stop of her tour of the country – Jewish religious practices that separate men and women. Speaking at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem on Monday, she took aim at cases of ultra-Orthodox Jews targeting women. “It’s distressing to read […]
AllJewishLinks.com Newsletter Issue # 55 – November 7, 2012
Volunteers from the Rabbinical College of America Chabad Headquarters of New Jersey together with its new division Rutgers Jewish Outreach headed into the evacuated and powerless city of New Brunswick and handed out free self heating Kosher meals to all the students stuck without electricity or food. Previous commentaries have queried which of the two […]
22 Torah Damaged in Belle Harbor
In one seaside community, volunteers from New York’s Jewish Shomrim organization have discovered 22 damaged Torah scrolls. The Torah scrolls were found in four Jewish centers that were destroyed during Hurricane Sandy in the seaside community of Belle Harbor, located in the New York City borough of Queens. Also found were 30 pairs of damaged […]
Fire Consumes Historic Connecticut Synagogue, Torahs Survive
A fire seriously damaged a historic synagogue in Connecticut on Sunday morning. Flames consumed the Hebrew Congregation of Woodmont in Milford, Connecticut, at approximately 9:30 Sunday morning. No injuries were reported. “It’s massive destruction. The building will have to be totally redone” congregation president Joel Levitz told The Connecticut Post. While the synagogue’s two Torah scrolls […]
Rabbi Suspected of Stealing Torah Scrolls
Police on Tuesday arrested a rabbi on suspicion of being involved in stealing Torah scrolls from a synagogue in a southern Israeli community. Residents of Moshav Brosh in the Negev were surprised to discover during the holiday of Simchat Torah that parchments of seven Torah scrolls had been stolen from the local synagogue and replaced […]
Rabbis Step Up War on Smartphones
Ultra-Orthodox rabbis are stepping up their war on smartphones, using the Jewish holiday of Simchat Torah as an excellent opportunity to prove just how serious they are. On Monday evening, during the traditional singing and dancing with Torah scrolls at the Porat Yosef Yeshiva in Jerusalem, yeshiva head Rabbi Moshe Tzadka ordered one of the […]
AllJewishLinks.com Newsletter Issue # 50 – October 03, 2012
A unique Jewish burial was held for pages of Torah scrolls and the remains of other holy books that survived the Holocaust almost 70 years ago. The ancient scrolls were kept in the Holy Ark of a synagogue in east Romania, which was bombed and completely destroyed by the Nazis. Before the Nazis led them […]
Holy Books Buried after Surviving Shoah
A unique Jewish burial was held Sunday for pages of Torah scrolls and the remains of other holy books that survived the Holocaust almost 70 years ago. The ancient scrolls were kept in the Holy Ark of a synagogue in east Romania, which was bombed and completely destroyed by the Nazis. In their last hours, […]
New Orleans Jews Prepare for Powerless Shabbat with Isaac
Of all the unknowns being discussed as Hurricane Isaac approached New Orleans, members of Congregation Shir Chadash knew one thing for certain. “Nobody wanted to be the person that said, ‘Oh let’s not move the Torahs this time,’” said Rabbi Ethan Linden. “We sort of went into our hurricane action mode and did the best […]
AllJewishLinks.com Newsletter Issue # 45 – August 29, 2012
Two Torah scrolls, one complete and one incomplete, were found in Poland’s Sokolow Podlaski district. The scrolls found are believed to have belonged to a synagogue in nearby Wegrow. Local policeman brought the scrolls to the municipal offices in Sokolow and gave them to Marcin Pasik, head of the Sokolow Commune. A Facebook page is […]
Torah Scrolls, Apparently Lost During Holocaust, Returned to Polish Village
Two Torah scrolls, one complete and one incomplete, were found in Poland’s Sokolow Podlaski district. The Torah scrolls, found August 20, are believed to have belonged to a synagogue in nearby Wegrow. A local policeman brought the scrolls to the municipal offices in Sokolow and gave them to Marcin Pasik, head of the Sokolow Commune. […]
AllJewishLinks.com Newsletter Issue # 32 – May 30, 2012
Two bronze sculptures created by artist Sigalit Landau have been stolen from the yard of an art collector in Herzliya. The two statues, “Vomitus-Narcisus,” created in 2007, and “Stranded on a Watermelon in the Dead Sea,” from 2009, were both placed in the collector’s yard during the past year. Each of the sculptures, which were […]
North Carolinians Welcome New Torah
Some 300 community members and guests turned out for a special Torah dedication ceremony, parade and family fun fair at Chabad in Greensboro, NC. The ceremony marked the completion of a brand new Torah scroll that will now find its home in the shul at the Chabad center, which is run by Rabbi Yosef and […]
Masorti Groups to Avoid Hotels Denying Torahs
The Rabbinical Assembly, an international association of Conservative rabbis, announced last week at its annual conference in Atlanta that it would be advising all Conservative and Masorti Jewish groups to patronize only those hotels that make their Torah scrolls available for them to use. Masorti is the name given to the Conservative movement outside of […]
Rabbis Pass Hotel ‘Equality of Treatment Resolution’
A new resolution was passed by the Rabbinical Assembly, the international association of Conservative rabbis, at its National Convention in Atlanta earlier this month that calls upon Israeli hotels to treat all denominations of Judaism equally. Over the past year, there has been an increasing number of cases when Conservative Jewish groups have wished to […]
Miracle in Tzfat: Boys Find Stolen Torah Scrolls
Three grade school boys accidentally found six stolen Torah scrolls in an abandoned building where they wanted to establish a clubhouse. The incredible story unfolded Sunday afternoon when nine-year-old Ariel Chaim Erdstein and three friends entered the ruins of a building and were shocked to discover the Torah scrolls, worth more than $250,000. Thieves stole […]
AllJewishLinks.com Newsletter Issue # 16 February 08, 2012
A cache of ancient Jewish scrolls from northern Afghanistan has recently come to light is creating a storm among scholars who say the landmark find could reveal an undiscovered side of medieval Jewry. The 150 or more documents, date back from the 11th century, were found in Afghanistan’s Samangan province and most likely smuggled out […]
Save a Torah Fraud Pleads Guilty
Menachem Youlus, 50, plead guilty to mail and wire fraud in a federal court in Manhattan, admitting he had fraudulently obtained funds for rescuing “lost or hidden” Holocaust-era Torah scrolls he never recovered. “Between 2004 and 2010, I falsely represented that I had personally obtained vintage Torah scrolls — in particular ways, in particular locations […]
Revised USCJ Luach
Today is the second day of Rosh Chodesh Tevet, the beginning of the new Jewish month. It is also the seventh day of Hanukkah. That means that the past two mornings have been long, complicated prayer services with Torah readings from two separate Torah scrolls, Hallel (songs of praise for both Hanukkah and Rosh Chodesh), […]
200th Torah Scroll Dedicated to the Jewish People’s Army
The National Council of Young Israel and the International Young Israel Movement’s Israel region dedicated on Thursday a restored scroll at the Sirkin army base near Petach Tikvah, immediately north of Tel Aviv. The Torah scroll is the 200th scroll to be donated to the IDF and the first one in the Young Israel donation […]
Two Torah scrolls saved at Christchurch’s Chabad House
Police initially stopped Christchurch’s Chabad House Rabbi Shmuel Friedman when he tried to reach his stricken building following last week’s earthquake. But when they heard why he wanted to reach the structure, they aided his mission – to recover two Torah scrolls. Accompanied by Israeli backpacker Noam Diamant, Friedman on Wednesday headed towards the city […]
Israeli police arrest 4 in Italy synagogue theft
Israeli police have arrested four men in the theft of religious items valued at more than $1 million from a synagogue in Italy, a police spokesman said Monday. The four suspects – Israelis in their 20s – were arrested Saturday, spokesman Micky Rosenfeld said. They are accused of stealing the items from Milan’s central synagogue […]
Synagogue torched in Tunisia: Jewish leader
Arsonists set fire to a synagogue in the southern Gabes region of Tunisia, a leader of the local Jewish community said Tuesday. “Someone set fire to the synagogue on Monday night and the Torah scrolls were burned,” Trabelsi Perez told AFP, criticising the lack of action by the security services to stop the attack. “What […]
Easy to Prepare Stuffed Cabbage for Sukkot
Sukkot is all about stuffed food and what could be better than preparing a homemade stuffed cabbage. It is also a custom to serve stuffed cabbage during Simchat Torah since the shape of the stuffed cabbage is similar to the Torah scrolls. Here’s a simple stuffed cabbage recipe which is easy to make. You will […]
Florida Bank Threatens Chabad Shul To Seize Sefer torah As Foreclosure Assets
Members of a Florida Orthodox Jewish congregation said they feel a bank’s action to foreclose on a loan and seize Torah scrolls as assets is unconscionable. Howard Dubosar, a lawyer for Congregation Chabad-Lubavitch near Boynton Beach, said the threat by the Stonegate Bank to seize Torahs is “a desecration. This bank is playing hardball,” the […]
Proper Care of the Torah and Other Religious Books
Proper care of Torah will definitely extend the life of these sacred scrolls. Careful use of the Torah is also a sign of respect to God and his teachings. It is therefore important to take good care of the Torah as well as other religious articles. Keep the Torah and other Jewish prayer books in a […]
Steps to Becoming a Jewish Scribe
The job of a Jewish Scribe or Sofer is to transcribe Torah scrolls and other religious writings. Becoming a Sofer is not an easy job and requires a lot of extensive training and great skills. A Jewish Scribe must be a God-fearing person and should be faithful to the holiness of the Torah. A Sofer […]
How to Participate in the Celebration of Simchat Torah
Simchat Torah is a Jewish holiday celebrating the conclusion of the annual reading of Torah. Simchat Torah is a Hebrew term which means “Rejoicing of the Torah.” Services for Simchat Torah begins with the Ma’ariv service or evening service. Torah scrolls are removed from the ark. Members of the congregation march around the synagogue in a ceremony called […]
Simchat Torah
After Yom Kippur, Jewish people celebrate a seven-day festival and holiday that is called Sukkot. Sukkot is a time of great rejoicing in which people build outside dwellings called “sukkahs,” which they festively decorate and eat meals in. After Sukkot, there is a two day festival. In Israel, this two-day festival is called Shemini Atzeret. […]