Celebration Planned To Dedicate

A New Community Torah Scroll

SOUTHBURY — The Torah scroll, one of the Jewish people’s most sacred objects, has roughly 600,000 handwritten letters. With a feather and special mix for ink, the scribe writes the five books of Moses on 54 pieces of parchment. On average, the process takes more than a year to produce the beautiful workmanship.

When a scroll is completed it calls for great celebration by the city welcoming it to its new home: the Holy Ark in the synagogue where it will be housed. All the Torah scrolls join the greeting procession as they accompany the celebratory dancing as the expert scribe Rabbi Gad Sebag of New York completes the final letters of this magnificent scroll.

Just in time for Hanukkah, the community Torah scroll completed by Chabad Lubavitch of Northwest Connecticut, a Jewish outreach, educational, and social service organization based in Litchfield, will arrive in its new home; Chabad is extending an open invitation to this event.

“We invite the entire Jewish community, Jews from all persuasions, to join us at this historic, once is a lifetime event,” said Rabbi Joseph I. Eisenbach. The ceremony will take place with the writing of the concluding letters of the Torah scroll on Sunday afternoon, December 2, at the Heritage Hotel, 522 Heritage Road in Southbury.

The ceremonious Torah procession will begin at 4 pm, accompanied by spirited song and dance with live music, Torah workshop, and a special kids program. A festive full buffet dinner will follow the ceremony.

“I warmly welcome all of you to come,” said Rabbi Eisenbach. “Be part of history. Become an active participant in your glorious Jewish heritage. Don’t miss this historic event,” he encouraged.

The program is free, but reservations are requested and can be done by visiting ChabadNW.org/torah or by calling 800-297-6864. The website has information about other upcoming events and programs sponsored by Chabad Lubavitch of Northwestern Connecticut.