Otzar HaStam Starts New Year With Two Sefer Torahs

Tsfat’s Otzar HaStam followed the inspiration and energy of Yom Kippur this year by hosting a grand ceremony to celebrate the start of two new sefer Torahs. The Torah scrolls, which will be written by two expert sofrim from local anash, also marked the general launch of writing for Otzar HaStam’s stock of high-quality retail safrus.

The Werdiger family of Melbourne, Australia is sponsoring one of the scrolls in memory of Mrs. Werdiger’s parents, Chaim Yosef and Freida, and her brothers, Avraham Yisrael and Yehuda Leib Pakula. Speeches at the ceremony mentioned that Yehuda Leib served as a soldier in the Israeli army during the Yom Kippur War and died on Yom Kippur al Kiddush Hashem.

The second scroll is being sponsored by the Van deer Veen family of Tsfat in honor of their parents, Zalman Moshe and Batya, Mrs. Esther Van der Veen, and also in memory of Chaim Van der Veen. This Torah is scheduled for donation to the Lubavticher Yeshiva in Crown Heights after its letters are sold to raise money for a new fund to support the institution’s teachers, under the direction of Rabbi Peretz Blesberg.

Joining the festivities was Head Shliach and director of Chabad institutions in Tsfat, Rabbi Chaim Kaplan, Rav of Chabad in Tsfat, Rabbi Mordechai Bistritski, friends of the Werdiger family, The Rebbes’ Shluchim to Tzfat, Rabbis Yosef Yitzhak Chitrik and Rabbi Aharon Eliezer Ceitlin – both of whom were close friends of the Fakula family in their time as student Shluchim to Yeshiva Gedolah Lubavitch in Melbourne, Director of Ascent, Rabbi Shaul Leiter, Director at Yeshivas Tzeirei HaShluchim, Rabbi Menachem Traxler, Director of the Chabad Preschool Network in Tsfat, Rabbi Daniel Otinsky, and members of the Van der Veen family.

Besides the ceremony, the past month was busy at Otzar HaStam where thousands of visitors came to learn about safrus at the center throughout the month of Tishrei and particularly Chol HaMoed Sukkos.

To arrange tours at the visitor center or order Stam products you can call +972-4-691-2000 or visit: www.hastam.org.