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Oz Ve'Hadar is a unique project which brings to life halachically (Torah law) invalidated Torah Scrolls, and presents them to Defense Ministry sites and IDF units throughout the country.
Over years of usage, Torah Scrolls written decades ago, as well as Torah scrolls that are 24-7 out on the field with the Israeli soldiers, become unfit for public readings. Oz Ve'Hadar's sole mission is to bring many Torah scrolls to IDF bases and units by repairing these invalidated Torah scrolls.
"It's important for my family to take part in the sefer Torah project because we did it in honor of my parents' 50th wedding anniversary, and with our connection to Eretz Yisrael it felt like the right thing to do," said Mark Gelbart of West Hempstead, New York.
"The idea of taking a sefer Torah that was posul (damaged or faded and therefore unusable) and correcting it and making it kosher, not only is it a mitzvah from the Torah - if you're doing it for the IDF and Yad L'Banim it was something very heartfelt. Having friends and family that have served in the IDF, it was something very meaningful to us," Gelbert said.
Rabbi Eliezer Fold, a teacher at the HAFTR yeshiva in the Five Towns, said that the project truly represents "who we are as Jews. It unified the Torah, and it unified Eretz Yisrael together. We had the opportunity to donate a sefer Torah to Eretz Yisrael. It showed the kids in our school how important it is. The Torah is important to us and Eretz Yisrael is important to us."
The process of restoring an invalidated Torah Scroll begins with a thorough check of the Scroll to ascertain its specific flaws by meticulous proofreading and hundreds of hours of editing, including a final computerized scan to ensure accuracy. The process takes between three months to half a year.
Once the Scroll is validated it reverts back to “active service”. The next step is to determine which army base or unit will receive the Scroll, and celebrate a re-dedication ceremony organized by the government’s Defense Ministry in corroboration with the IDF.
This whole process is funded by donors from around the world. The Ministry and IDF permit the donor to decide in whose name the Torah Scroll will be dedicated.
Donors dedicate the Scrolls to an army unit, or Yad Le’Banim memorial center at a ceremony in the presence of the unit commanders, soldiers, rabbis, and family members of the donor.
And so, in this special project, the traditions and legacy of Torah meet the present needs of the Jewish nation's army in the Land of Israel.