From the Rabbi - October 1998

Dear Friends,

Over the past few weeks I have been thinking a lot about our new Torah. When the idea of writing a Torah to celebrate our Centennial was first introduced, we all were excited about the prospect. Not only would it be a wonderful way to commemorate our Centennial, but it would provide the Congregation with countless opportunities to learn about the centrality and importance of Torah. In addition, by sponsoring sections of the scroll, congregants would be able to commemorate, celebrate and memorialize important individuals and events in their lives - thereby adding a personal aspect to our most sacred object while helping to build our endowment.

A year has passed since the project was introduced and we can now state that the writing of our new Torah has surpassed all of our expectations. But there was another dimension of the Torah Project that I never anticipated. Many families and individuals thought very carefully before choosing the words of Torah that they wanted to sponsor. I spent many hours with people looking for the perfect parasha, chapter, or verses that would symbolize the messages of love, memory, hope and joy that their particular selection was meant to convey. As a result, our new Torah is a repository for some of the most precious memories and values of our Congregation.

On Sunday, October 4, at 11:00 A.M., our scribe, Rabbi Shmuel Miller, will deliver our beautiful new Torah and inscribe the last words in the book of Deuteronomy in our sanctuary. We will officially consecrate our Torah at Erev Shabbat services on Friday night, October 9, then dance with the new Torah at the Simchat Torah services on Sunday night, October 11. I hope all of you will come to share these historic events in the life of our Congregation.

I am eagerly looking forward to this joyous weekend of dedication. Special thanks go to the Torah Project committee - under the able leadership of Bronnie Blaugrund and Ed Caplan. Our new Torah represents our past, present and future. Each time we open it - whether on Shabbat, the holidays or at a Bar or Bat Mitzvah, fulfilling the mitzvah of reading the Torah will be coupled with the awareness that the scroll from which we are reading was created by our good friends and members of our Congregation. There is no doubt in my mind that every individual who reads from the scroll, or who hears it being read, will be greatly enriched by the experience.

I look forward to us celebrating together.
B’Shalom,

Rabbi Joseph R. Black

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