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Temple Israel of Northern Westchester Holocaust Rescued Torah
Temple Israel of Northern Westchester Holocaust Rescued Torah
Our Torah belonged to the Jewish community of Austerlitz, in what is now the Czech Republic. The Jewish cemetery at Austerlitz dated from the 12th century. Over the years, the population of the community waxed and waned. In the 19th century the community flourished as it restored its synagogue, introduced a more modern service with a cantor and a choir and had a German-Jewish school that educated three classes of students. By the early 20th century, the Jewish population began to decline following an anti-Semitic outrage in 1905 in which many Jewish houses were destroyed. In 1938, the Nazis occupied the region, and two years later, all the Jews from the surrounding area were taken to Austerlitz. Members of the local Jewish community were required to take these new residents into their own homes, giving them food and shelter. In 1942 the Jews of Austerlitz, together with their new guests, were given orders to prepare for deportation. The community was given a few days to prepare for the journey. Early one morning they were taken by truck to the nearby large town of Brno before being sent to Terezin not too long afterwards. From there most of the community were sent to the death camps in the east never to return.
When they were in power, the Nazis collected religious artifacts from plundered synagogues, including this Torah scroll, and brought them to Prague, intending to open an “Exotic Museum of an Extinct Race.” After the war, the Czechoslovakian government gained control over this collection. The Torah scrolls lay in storage for several years until the 1960’s, when they were sold to a London businessman. This man brought the Torah scrolls to the Westminster synagogue, and a trust was established to re-house them in synagogues all over the world. Ted Stone, a member of our congregation who used to blow the shofar during the High Holy Days, heard of the effort to re-house these Torah scrolls. Through his efforts, the Torah scroll in our Ark came to Temple Israel in 1967.
The Torah is on permanent loan from the Memorial Scrolls Trust in London.
Sat, March 15 2025
15 Adar 5785
Temple israel Happenings
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Thursday ,
MarMarch 20 , 2025Brotherhood Lecture: Passover, God's Gift to Humankind
Thursday, Mar 20th 7:30pm to 9:00pm
Join Temple member Alejandro Goday as he tells of the events of the Jewish community in Chile during the military coup of September 11, 1973. He will also relate his personal journey to Judaism. -
Saturday ,
MarMarch 22 , 2025Sisterhood Spring Fling Dance
Motzei Shabbat, Mar 22nd 7:30pm to 11:00pm
Put on your dancing shoes and join Sisterhood at Temple Israel for our Spring Fling Dance. Back by popular demand, DJ Steve will have you on the dance floor all night. Light fare, cash bar, dessert and Silent Auction will be provided. Bring your friends to this amazing event! -
Sunday ,
MarMarch 23 , 2025Fullerhouse Center for Housing with Brotherhood-Offsite
Sunday, Mar 23rd 9:00am to 12:00pm
Please join us to help address homelessness in Westchester by volunteering for a build event. This is a great opportunity for our teens to participate in some very important community service and earn community service credits. Please note that teens should be accompanied by an adult. -
Sunday ,
MarMarch 30 , 2025Brotherhood Breakfast: Speaker Dana Levenberg
Sunday, Mar 30th 10:00am to 11:30am
Whether as a community leader, the Town Supervisor of Ossining or, since January 2023, representing Assembly District 95 in Albany, Assemblywoman, Dana Levenberg has worked to make a difference for us all.
Events
Today's Calendar
Shushan Purim |
: 9:30am |
Friday Night
: 7:00pm |
: 8:00pm |
Shabbat Day
: 9:30am |
: 10:30am |
: 7:30pm |
Upcoming Programs & Events
Mar 16 |
Mar 20 |
Mar 22 |
Mar 22 |
Mar 23 |
This week's Torah portion is Parashat Ki Tisa
Shushan Purim
Shabbat, Mar 15 |