Tuesday, October 11, 2011

Simchat Torah and PK Torah Return Project

Bringing 21 Torah Scrolls to the region to date, the Project Kesher Torah Return Project has inspired…

• The first B’nai Mitzvah in two generations in several communities.
• Simchat Torah celebrations which were the catalyst for previously hidden Jews to attend their first services.
• New community-wide programs connecting children and teens to Jewish study.

In one community, the gift of a Torah inspired the local government to return a synagogue building being used for government offices.

Project Kesher-trained leaders are making a significant impact in the communities where the Torahs have been placed. The women have been trained by Project Kesher’s leadership training program or participated in our Beit Binah – text to activism training. They are the catalysts for Jewish renewal and social activism in their communities and we are proud of all they are accomplishing.

As we celebrate Simchat Torah, we would like to provide updates from some of our Torah Return Project Communities:

Balakova, Russia
“It is symbolic that our young and growing community received the Scroll from an American community that has more than a century long history (1867-2006), it underlines the continuity of generations and eternal nature of the Torah.” - Larissa Andriyanova, PK leader, Balakova

Bobruysk, Belarus

“Our Project Kesher women’s group has been celebrating Simchat Torah and other holidays using our own Scroll – a gift from PK- for 6 years already! We believe that our knowledge must be…spread to our children, and we are reading texts to them.” - Elena Davydova, Bobruysk PK Leader

Gori, Georgia


“The new Sefer Torah brought new energy to the Gori, Georgia community. We conduct Jewish study for the youth from 14 to 25 years old. Now, every week we study Torah with them, discuss it… We’ve noticed how our students change going deeper into Jewish tradition, learning more about Judaism. We see these young people grow up, some of them met at our meetings and get married later!”- Zizi Shaptoshvilih, Project Kesher Regional Rep. in Georgia

Rovno, Ukraine


“After the Scroll was carried in many community members came to look at it and ask us to tell them about the Scroll, the history of the Torah, its traditions etc. That is why we decided to start classes using the Scroll in the synagogue, in our Project Kesher women’s group and in a children’s center… The Torah Scroll has become a basis for strengthening and uniting the Progressive and Chabad communities – it is used for Shabbat and on holidays. With the return of the Scroll the life of Rovno Jews is filled with its light as it is said in Mishlei: ‘The commandment is a lantern and Torah is light’.” - Darya Yefimenko, Rovno PK Women’s Group leader

Cherkassy, Ukraine


“For the year past more than 600 people participated in community celebrations of Yom Kippur, Simchat Torah, Pesach and Shavuot….. Galina Polskaya, the head of the Cherkassy community and Elena Pysina, PK youth programs coordinator worked with me to prepare the Simchat Torah celebration in the progressive community. During the celebration women had a chance to both touch the Scroll and dance with it, handing it to one another, telling the stories of the impact that the Scroll had on their lives.” - Azariya Medvedeva, PK Regional Representative in Central Ukraine, Beit Binah graduate and head of Cherkassy Jewish Women’s Center