The Jerusalem PostCulture
Torah Scrolls Rescued From Nazis Find New Life Through Unlikely Partnership
Summarized from The Jerusalem Post by baba
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A Satmar scribe and a London Reform synagogue partnered for 27 years to restore 1,564 Torah scrolls rescued from Nazi-occupied Czechoslovakia. The scrolls, originally gathered in Prague's Jewish Museum after the 1939 Nazi invasion, were later purchased by a British philanthropist in 1963. Arriving in London in 1964, the scrolls were entrusted to the Westminster Reform synagogue for restoration. The Memorial Scrolls Trust was founded to loan the scrolls globally, preserving the memory of Holocaust victims.
The story in 6 lines · by baba
- 1,564 Torah scrolls rescued from Nazi-occupied Czechoslovakia were restored through a partnership between a Satmar scribe and a London Reform synagogue.
- The scrolls were originally gathered in Prague's Jewish Museum after the 1939 Nazi invasion and remained in storage for nearly 20 years post-WWII.
- In 1963, British philanthropist Ralph Yablon funded the purchase and transport of 1,800 scrolls from Prague to London.
- The Westminster Reform synagogue's restoration project began in 1964, leading to the founding of the Memorial Scrolls Trust.
- Over 1,400 scrolls have been loaned to communities worldwide, serving as a memorial to Holocaust victims.
- The restoration effort, involving Satmar scribe David Eliahu Brand and coordinator Ruth Shaffer, lasted 27 years.
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