Torah scroll

Bloodstains on the Torah scrolls reveal a painful past that still speaks today

When Eliyahu Kalimi and the children of Gilo began collecting bottles to purchase a Torah scroll, nobody believed it would happen. Yet, reality surpassed all imagination. Now, they are concluding their two-year collection effort and preparing for the Torah's inauguration. "This will be a Torah scroll for all of Israel."

The Babylonian Jewish Heritage Center often receives significant Judaica items, but the Torah scroll currently on display not only holds great historical value, it also reveals a particularly fascinating story, shared by curator Orly Becher-Levi.

Why are Torah scroll dedication ceremonies so meaningful, and which traditions are observed during this event?

The 'Shayach Israel' synagogue was established after the Toulouse murder in memory of Yonatan Sandler HY"D. How did the community members react to the desecration of the Torah scrolls, and what did they do with the one scroll that remained intact despite the break-in and humiliation? An interview with Shmuel Marciano, the synagogue's gabai.

What led Erez Dror's mother to visit her son's grave that day, and who were the kind-hearted people who joined the Torah scroll dedication project?

Over 60 years ago, a Nazi officer entered a synagogue in Lithuania and cruelly tore a piece from an ancient Torah scroll to use it as protective wrapping for his officer's certificate. Years later, he shared this secret with his son, a senior politician in Germany, who decided to return the sacred parchment. Moti Dotan, Head of the Lower Galilee Council, was the envoy for this mitzvah.

With help from U.S. soldiers, Dr. Nissan Sharifi brought an ancient Torah scroll from Baghdad to safety in a Netanya synagogue