Hundreds of people participated Wednesday night in a Hachnasat Sefer Torah (inauguration of a Torah scroll) ceremony at the Shavei Shomron yeshiva in Samaria.
The hundred-year-old Torah survived the Holocaust in Poland, was bought by Yaakov Yosef of Antwerp in the early 1990s, and was then brought to Israel last year where it was finally donated to its new home.
During the event, Yosef, the donor, said he sought to contribute the Torah to a place where it will be used regularly. "I hope you enjoy this Torah scroll and use it for years to come," he said.
The celebration also marked the completion of Mishna studies by yeshiva student Yehuda Sa'ada, making it an even greater festivity.
"The fact that young men merit the completion of the six books of the Mishna is a big deal. It is easier said than done,” said the president of the yeshiva, Rabbi Dov Lior.
“In Israel, adding a Torah scroll to a synagogue's Ark means more than adding a book for the people to read from. Every Torah serves as written proof of our exclusive right to the Land of Israel,” said Rabbi Lior at the Torah inauguration.
Rabbi Lior, together with the Head Rabbi of Shavei Shomron, Rabbi Yehoshua Mordechai Schmidt, thanked and blessed the Torah scroll donor for bringing it to reside in Israel.
