Czech Torah Restoration Fundraiser

Preserving the Past · Enhancing the Present · Ensuring the Future

The Czech Torah is championed by six generations of the Goldstein Family in memory of Betty and Leon Goldstein z"l and their love of Torah and learning.

Preserving the Past

When Jewish communities were being wiped out during WWII, many Torah scrolls were left in synagogue basements until their discovery in 1964 when 1,800 scrolls were collected around Bohemia and Moravia and moved to London where they could be checked, repaired (if possible), and cataloged. The Memorial Scrolls Trust was formed to help care for scrolls and loan them out to communities around the world. Scroll #1339 came to Atlanta in 1977 after Ruth and Sol Singer (z"l) made a request on behalf of Ahavath Achim Synagogue (AA). The scroll, originally from 1800s Plzeň, Czech Republic, has been prominently displayed in our Sylvia G. Cohen Museum for more than 46 years.

Enhancing the Present

Join us in restoring this important piece of history and fulfilling one of our sacred mitzvot, writing a Torah scroll. Everyone is invited to sit with the Sofer on Sunday, August 13 or Monday, August 14 as he fixes some of the damaged letters. During this time, you'll learn more about our Czech Torah, some of the special things found in its writing, the significance of restoring it, and the importance of this mitzvah.

Ensuring the Future

Once placed in the ark of our new sanctuary, AA voices will read the Czech Torah, echoing voices from over 200 years ago. It will inspire us and generations to come to be life-long learners of Jewish wisdom. This remarkable Torah starts with the story of Creation, narrates our earliest history, and returns us to our Promised Land. With your support, it will continue to enrich our community and enlighten our future. The Czech Torah will be dedicated in August during our Sanctuary dedication.

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