Hundreds of people gathered by the square outside the newly re-built Churva shul as they welcomed home the first sefer Torah to be commissioned specifically for the shul in over 60 years. The sefer Torah was written by Dr. Michael Elman and family of Baltimore and Yerushalayim in loving memory of their parents Julius and Beatrice Feigelman (Yehuda ben Yechiel Michel Z”L and Bunya bas Chaim Asher A”H) and G. Leonard Rubin (Gershon Lipa ben Leib Azriel Z”L). When Dr. Elman first heard a number of years ago of the plans to rebuild the Churva shul from his chavrusa Tzvi Aryeh Ingber, he and his wife decided, with the bracha of Rav Simcha Hakohen Kook and other gedolei Yisrael, to commission a sefer Torah for the shul in memory of their parents. Hailing from the Shomrei Emunah kehila in Baltimore, a place where yidden from all walks of life daven and learn together side by side, the Elmans found the Churva as the fitting home for their sefer, as it is also a place where all yidden, regardless of their background, feel at home.

Following kesivas osios by gedolei yisrael and at the Elman’s home in the Rova HaYehudi, a gala seudas mitzvah took place in the Old City before the dazzling and spirited procession made its way to the Churva shul.

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CREDITS:  Yehuda Boltshauser / Yosef Gottlieb / Dovid Bader / Yaakov Shachar – Kuvien Images