IDF soldiers at the base synagogue
IDF soldiers at the base synagogueNachshon Philipson

On a beautiful winter’s day in January, the International Young Israel Movement (IYIM) had the honor of hosting a very unique Torah scroll dedication to the IDF by the Roszler Family.

Janis and Myer Roszler of Miami Beach, their children, siblings and extended family dedicated a Torah scroll in loving memory of Myer's father, Rabbi Tzvi Elimelech Roszler, of blessed memory.

The dedication was facilitated by IYIM's Warrior Torah program.

The Torah was donated to the Southern Iron Dome Unit located in the northern Negev, which “patrols” the skies over Gaza. This mobile unit is extraordinary insomuch as it disperses every six months and travels across the country. The unit’s purpose is to use radar to detect the rockets which present the greatest threat and shoot them down.

As the Roszlers and their guests entered the Iron Dome unit compound, they were greeted by smiling soldiers who were staring in disbelief to see fellow Jews who would travel from so far away to celebrate a Torah dedication with them. As the music blared, soldiers and family members danced with the Torah scroll, taking turns holding it under the chuppah (wedding canopy, customarily used in Torah dedications as well as for weddings).

Singing and dancing could be heard all throughout the army base as the Torah made its way to the makeshift synagogue. There, all huddled in a container-like room, speeches were made by Chief IAF Rabbi Lior Bardeya, Rabbi Yair Abu of Israel's Air Defense, the base commander Major K., IYIM Executive Director Daniel Meyer, and family members Isaac Roszler and Shimmy Kandel. Major K. said that in all his years in the army, this was his first-ever Torah dedication, and he felt privileged to be a part of the celebrations.

The late Rabbi Tzvi Elimelech Roszler was the sole survivor of his family, all of whom perished in the Holocaust. In their emotional speeches, both of his grandsons emphasized how they grew up in the atmosphere of his love for the Land of Israel and Torah.

"As Rabbi Tzvi Elimelech rose from the ashes of the Holocaust and embraced Zionism," the family said, "so too will this Torah scroll be a symbol of strength and shield Israeli soldiers in times of need."