Thousands Celebrate Completion and Dedication of Ninth Children's Torah Scroll at Western Wall

The ninth Torah scroll dedicated to the children of Israel, initiated by the Lubavitcher Rebbe in 1981, was completed and ceremoniously brought to the Western Wall in Jerusalem. After three years of participation by over 304,805 children worldwide, coordinated by thousands of Chabad emissaries, the final letters were inscribed in a moving event attended by rabbis, yeshiva heads, and Hasidim. The ceremony took place on the 20th of Menachem Av, the yahrzeit of Rabbi Levi Yitzchak Schneerson, the Rebbe's father, following tradition.

The event began with the reading of the last words "before all Israel," followed by the Torah's elevation, rolling, and crowning with a magnificent crown. A large procession then moved from the Tzemach Tzedek synagogue to the Western Wall, accompanied by thousands of Jews from across Israel, representing diverse communities and enduring the heat and travel hardships to participate. Rabbi Shmuel Greisman, the chairman of the committee overseeing the Torah project since its inception, carried the scroll first during the festive conclusion.

The ceremony was led by Rabbi Shneur Raskin, a Chabad emissary from Alfei Menashe, who played a key role in organizing the event. Central to the celebration was the recitation of the "Ata Hara'ita" verses traditionally said during Simchat Torah hakafot, enriched with twelve verses and teachings from the sages chosen by the Rebbe for children to memorize. The new Torah scroll was placed in the Tzemach Tzedek synagogue alongside the eight previous children's Torah scrolls housed there.