IDF Celebrates Completion of Ninth Children's Torah Scroll at Western Wall Ceremony

A grand and emotional ceremony marked the completion of the ninth Torah scroll dedicated to the children of Israel, initiated by the Lubavitcher Rebbe in 1981. The event took place at the Western Wall on the 20th of Menachem Av, coinciding with the yahrzeit of Rabbi Levi Yitzchak Schneerson, the Rebbe's father. Over three years, 304,805 children from around the world were registered by thousands of Chabad emissaries to participate in this unique project.

The final letters of the Torah were written in a ceremony attended by leading Torah scholars, Hasidic rebbes, rabbis, yeshiva heads, and devoted Hasidim who played key roles in organizing the event and registering children. After the last words were inscribed, the Torah was read aloud, adorned with a magnificent crown, and carried in a joyous procession from the Tzemach Tzedek synagogue to the Western Wall plaza.

Thousands of Jews from across Israel arrived by organized transport, private cars, and public transit, enduring heat and long journeys to take part in the celebration. The procession featured singing, dancing, and drumming, culminating in a festive Mincha prayer and Hakafot (Torah processions) accompanied by traditional verses and teachings chosen by the Rebbe for children to memorize.

The event lasted about three hours and included speeches by prominent rabbis such as Rabbi Shmuel Rabinovitch, Rabbi David Yosef, Rabbi Shlomo Moshe Amar, and Rabbi Reuven Elbaz. The ceremony concluded around 9 p.m. with the singing of "Ani Maamin" and the new Torah scroll was respectfully returned to the Tzemach Tzedek synagogue alongside the eight previous children's Torah scrolls.