The Survivor Torah Project, an effort to restore a Torah scroll hidden from the Nazis, has now reached Toronto, Canada.
The scroll was found recently after being hidden for 75 years, given for safekeeping by a Polish rabbi to his neighbor, a shepherd. The scroll is in poor condition; half of it was used over the last seven decades as rags, even for insoles for shoes. The Torah has been touring around the world for Holocaust survivors to help restore it, rewriting letter by precious letter.
“This is a clear symbol of triumph, showing again the victory of the Jewish spirit over those who try to exterminate us,” said Jonny Daniels, head of the project called “From the Depths.”
An event on May 24 at the Apotex Centre, Jewish Home for the Aged in Toronto, will continue the project as more survivors contribute to the rewriting of the sacred scroll. The organizations sponsoring the event include Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Center, the Baycrest Foundation and From the Depths.
After the Torah is restored, it will go to the synagogue associated with the President of Israel’s residence.
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