By MMB
This past Tuesday the Wellesley-Weston Chabad welcomed a brand new Torah scroll, which the congregation commissioned in honor of Shliach Rabbi Moshe Bleich’s 40th birthday eight months ago.
According to Ishay Grinberg, co- president of the congregation, this year the Chabad House has experienced tremendous growth. It started out of a two-bedroom rental in Wellesley 18 years ago, and now has more than 300 families that regularly attend events, services and many philanthropic initiatives that support the local Jewish community.
One of two big missing pieces were a proper Torah Scroll – a living testament to the Jewish people – and a proper synagogue that can accommodate the entire community (currently, the congregation meets in the rabbi’s house). Completing our first Torah will provide strong roots for the WWC as we continue to see accelerated growth in the community with the largest number of new families and students from Babson and Wellesley participating in 2017.
“I loved watching the scribe write the words onto the Torah scroll,” said community member Sally Rosenfield. “It was very meaningful to welcome this brand new Torah into the community.”
Co-president Eric Silverman, who dedicated two of the books of the Torah in memory of his father, said: “What an honor to participate in the 613th (of 613) commandment to write a Sefer Torah and to honor my father!”
The final letters were inscribed by members of the Chabad House in honor of Chof Av, Yartzheit-Hilula of Rabbi Levi Yitzchak Schneerson, father of the Rebbe.
The local community, as well as Shluchim and Anash of the greater Boston area, gathered for this historic event. “This is really a big deal for us,” said Sunny Lefkowitz, “This is the first Torah that we commissioned, we did it in honor of the rabbi and all he stands for.”
Many locals were moved by this event, including Stan (Shmuel) Helinski who said, “I was fortunate enough to attend an event hosted by the Wellesley-Weston Chabad and Rabbi Moshe Bleich and witnessed the completion of a Sefer Torah. The experience was once in a lifetime for me; an avodah that I was blessed in which to participate while being surrounded by family and friends of an ever-growing Jewish community in Wellesley. Thank you Rabbi Bleich, family and supporters for such an meaningful event.”
“The Wellesley Weston Chabad’s Torah dedication ceremony was as special as a wedding and we were witnesses to history in the making. I can picture myself, years from now, looking back and saying, ‘we were there when…'” said Lauren Grinberg, of the Chabad Women’s Auxiliary and one of the organizers the beautiful event.
Rabbi Bleich made sure to point out that the Torah scroll is called the Yisroel Ben Nosson Halevi Community Torah. Although the main benefactor dedicated the Torah to his father, it is really a “community” Torah as more than 175 people united to contribute to its writing.
“The evening’s celebration is one that I will long remember as one filled with joy and tremendous blessings,” said Julie Silk, one of the organizers of the evening’s celebration.
They really impersonate the picture perfect shluchim who host random ppl and are the parents of hundreds of students,alumni, andof the local community. they really give the REBBE a lot of nachas
Mazel Tov and Kol hakovod!
BS”D Hatzlacha Raba and Happy Birthday
mazel Tov only Simchas
I spy Meir, Bairush, Avi!!!!!!!
Moshie and Geni- the best!!