Adath Israel Congregation celebrated a “momentous” occasion in its community life on Nov. 2 with the completion and dedication of a new Torah, the sacred scroll that contains the first five books of the Bible, including, as Jews believe, the revelation of the law of God.
The joyous dedication ceremony was enriched with original readings, music and a debut of a film documenting the Torah writing project from inception to completion.
This is the first time in the congregation’s 85-year history that such a project has been undertaken.
“In the words of the Torah we hear our ancestors’ experience of the divine. We communicate with generations past, and, perhaps on occasion, we hear Torah as the voice of God refracted through human speech,” according a reading recited during the dedication service.
The hand-inscribed Torah was completed by renowned scribe Rabbi Zerach Greenfield. Written entirely in Hebrew on parchment, the Torah “contains 304,805 letters, all of which must be duplicated precisely …” Any error during inscription renders the scroll unfit for use, sources say.
Reflecting its centrality to Jewish belief, the Torah is located at the heart of Jewish houses of worship. The scrolls are housed in high honor within a special cabinet known as an “ark,” representing the biblical Ark of the Covenant.
Adath Israel describes itself as “an egalitarian, Conservative congregation and a member of United Synagogues of Conservative Judaism.” The congregation’s spiritual needs are served by Rabbi Daniel T. Grossman and Hazzan (cantor) Arthur Katlin. Hedda S. Morton, the congregation’s education director, served as coordinator of the Torah Project.
On the Web: www.adathisraeln j.org.
