Masorti Olami

July 23, 2010
Temple Shaare Tefilah in Norwood, MA kindly donated one of their torahs to Kehillat Beth Shalom in Alicante, Spain. Ken Turkewitz wrote the following article about the torah’s journey.

July 23, 2010
Temple Shaare Tefilah in Norwood, MA kindly donated one of their torahs to Kehillat Beth Shalom in Alicante, Spain. Ken Turkewitz wrote the following article about the torah’s journey.

 
 
Our challenge was to deliver the Torah safely and securely, while minimizing costs, and getting it to Alicante in time for a Masorti Europe conference in June.
 
The trip started with Bob Braitman and Bonnie Gordon. Bob and Bonnie packed the Torah for shipment, and Bob travelled with it on April 15 to deliver it to Rabbi Charles Simon at FJMC HQ. Rabbi Simon had planned to immediately hand it over to a rabbinical student to take with him to the Masorti Europe HQ in Amsterdam, where it would then be carried by a conference attendee to Alicante. Unfortunately, Volcano Eyjafjallajokull in Iceland was planning differently. It erupted on the same day that the Torah was scheduled to fly overseas, and the flight was cancelled.
 
We waited for the volcano to calm down and stop spewing volcanic ash, and alternative plans needed to be made. In the meantime, the Torah was stored at FJMC HQ in NY. On May 26, Rabbi Rivon Krygier of Adat Shalom Paris flew to Paris with the Torah. From there, on June 3, Mr. Claude Machline from Adat Shalom Paris (and Honarary Life President of Masorti Europe) made the final leg of the trip from Paris to Alicante.
 
The Torah was re-dedicated on Saturday, June 3, as part of a Masorti Europe conference being held in Alicante. Armando Azubel, Presdient of Comunidad Judía de Alicante Centro, writes:
 
 
In Shacharit shel Shabbath Rabbi Weiner read from the Sefer Torah and we had as many Aliyot as possible.
 
During Mincha we have made the Inauguration and Welcoming to the New Sefer Torah with seven hacafot where everybody danced with the Sefer. Rabbi Chaim made a nice Shiur about some details of the Sefer Torah considering the weight, the wood, the types and measures explaining that due to those details The Sefer must be very old. Rabbi Carlos Tapiero made a Mi Shaberach for Kehilat Shaare Tefilah and a nice speach thanking for this generous donation. We, the Synagogue Beth Shalom of Alicante, Board, friends and members, are very proud to hold and being the new home for such Anciane- Zaken- Sefer Torah.
 
Let´s hope, B"H that our Kehila and your Kehila B"H continue to improve and stay active and creative for the next 120 years and more, and we can continue helping others and giving to others the chance of growing.
 
This donation is a kind of richness that Kehilat Shaare Tefilá will never loose.
 
I must also say a special THANKS to Rabbi Simon. He listened to our need when I spoke to him in Berlin and I know he made a big effort to find out how to manage it.
 
With our best wishes to you and your Kehila.
 
 
It’s wonderful to hear how well the Torah was received, and how it is appreciated. Thank you to all of the above who provided transportation, and a special thank you to Rabbi Simon who provided the shidduch for our Torah and Comunidad Judía de Alicante Centro, and who coordinated (along with Joanna Kubar, VP of Masorti Europe) the transportation arrangements for the Torah.
 
The original article comes from Temple Shaare Tefilah's website at http://www.templeshaaretefilah.org/spanishtorah.html.
Download this article in pdf format below.