An Israeli delegation headed by Chief Rabbi Yisrael Meir Lau and Deputy Foreign Minister Rabbi Michael Melchior received a collection of Torah scrolls and other religious artifacts from Lithuanian authorities today. The delegation will be greeted in Israel this evening in a public ceremony with the participation of President Moshe Katzav. Arutz-7\'s Yehuda Freiman, reporting from Vilnius, said that a non-Jew named Andonas Valonis had endangered himself by saving the collection from both the Nazis and the Stalinist regime and storing it in the National Library he heads.
After many months of negotiations, the Lithuanian government agreed to transfer most of the collection - parts of 370 scrolls - to Israel. Four Torahs will remain in Lithuanian synagogues, while another 58 will be kept by the Lithuanian government. The talks also involved many bodies such as Heichal Shlomo, the American Jewish Committee, Israel\'s Chief Rabbinate, Bnai Brith, European rabbis, and others. In the end, the legislature passed a special law entitled, \"The Law for the Transfer of Jewish Torah Scroll Writings from the National Library in Vilnius to Heichal Shlomo in Jerusalem.\"
The collection that will be brought to Israel tonight includes some 30 complete Torahs, parts of many others, and some Megilot. \"One of the most unique items,\" Freiman reports, \"is a complete Nach (Prophets and Scriptures) written on parchment - a very rare item.\" The delegation began its visit in Vilna\'s ancient Jewish cemetery where the famed Gaon of Vilna is buried. Rabbi Lau spoke there about the Nazis\' failed attempt to wipe out Lithuanian Jewry - with \"the Star of David on the Israeli National Airline El Al plane that brought us here\" testifying to the failure of that evil mission. Rabbi Melchior spoke at the signing ceremony about how some of the holy writings were used as wallpaper, but he praised those Lithuanians who put themselves in danger to save others of the holy objects. The Nazis murdered over 90% of Lithuania\'s 220,000 Jews, and 5,000 Jews live there today.
After many months of negotiations, the Lithuanian government agreed to transfer most of the collection - parts of 370 scrolls - to Israel. Four Torahs will remain in Lithuanian synagogues, while another 58 will be kept by the Lithuanian government. The talks also involved many bodies such as Heichal Shlomo, the American Jewish Committee, Israel\'s Chief Rabbinate, Bnai Brith, European rabbis, and others. In the end, the legislature passed a special law entitled, \"The Law for the Transfer of Jewish Torah Scroll Writings from the National Library in Vilnius to Heichal Shlomo in Jerusalem.\"
The collection that will be brought to Israel tonight includes some 30 complete Torahs, parts of many others, and some Megilot. \"One of the most unique items,\" Freiman reports, \"is a complete Nach (Prophets and Scriptures) written on parchment - a very rare item.\" The delegation began its visit in Vilna\'s ancient Jewish cemetery where the famed Gaon of Vilna is buried. Rabbi Lau spoke there about the Nazis\' failed attempt to wipe out Lithuanian Jewry - with \"the Star of David on the Israeli National Airline El Al plane that brought us here\" testifying to the failure of that evil mission. Rabbi Melchior spoke at the signing ceremony about how some of the holy writings were used as wallpaper, but he praised those Lithuanians who put themselves in danger to save others of the holy objects. The Nazis murdered over 90% of Lithuania\'s 220,000 Jews, and 5,000 Jews live there today.