First Torah Comes to Hollywood

For thousands of years, the Torah has been an important part of the spirituality of the Jewish culture. According to the online website Wikipedia, Torah is a Hebrew word meaning “teaching,” “instruction,” or “law.” It is the central and most important document of Judaism revered by Jews through the ages. It is also called the Law of Moses (Torat Moshe). Torah primarily refers to the first section of the Tanakh–the first five books of the Hebrew Bible, but the term is sometimes also used in the general sense to also include both of Judaism’s written law and oral law, encompassing the entire spectrum of authoritative Jewish religious teachings throughout history. Those five books are Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy.

Thousands of years later, the tradition of the Sefer Torah became evident as rabbis and members of Chabad of Mt. Olympus finished their very first scroll in the seven year history of their existence last Sunday at the Women’s Club in Hollywood.

It took five years to create and contains a little over 300 words written in Hebrew by professional scribers from Israel, according to Chabad director Rabbi Sholom Rodal.

“It’s been an unbelievable thing to have our very first Torah,” Rodal said. “It’s an honor for the community to have its very own Torah.”

“I love being here (Los Angeles). People are wonderful, we have stars,” the rabbi added regarding the people of Hollywood.

The ceremony began with an incomplete page of the Torah as part of the tradition to have the community and its leaders write letters and witness the finished work. After the Torah was finished during the ceremony and the ink dried, the special scroll was read for the first time and later was carried by one of the members in a tradition called hagbah in Hebrew. Another member of the community tied and covered the Sefer Torah, in Hebrew called gelilah.

The Chabad Mt. Olympus community then walked in procession going up La Brea, turning east on Franklin, south on Sycamore, west on Hollywood to go back to La Brea to end the procession.

Next the Torah was taken back to Chabad Mt. Olympus for a final prayer and dancing as it is placed in the Aron Hakodesh or Holy Ark.

Chabad Associate Rabbi Sholom Pigelman was working in the technical aspects of the event such as projectors and video tapes. He said a complete Torah is a unique thing and the first to be completed in the Hollywood Hills.

“It feels as the greatest thing that has ever happened in Hollywood,” he said.