Torah Scroll Retrieved from Archives

NIKOLAYEV, Ukraine [FJC] — The Jewish community of Nikolayev has good cause for celebration, with the announcement that the State Archives of the Nikolayev Region – one of six archival institutions of Ukraine where Torah scrolls were stored – will be returning the 24th of the 25 such scrolls to the Jewish community. The transfer will take place on March 25 and the scroll will be officially transferred to the Jewish community of Nikolayev. It will be received directly by Chief Rabbi of Nikolayev Sholom Gottlieb.

Last year, an examination took place at the archives in order to determine the values of the Torah scrolls being held there. That visit involved Chief Rabbi Sholom Gottlieb and a number of restoration specialists from the archives. It was revealed that one of the scrolls was heavily damaged and not subject to recovery (which could therefore, be left in the archives as a monument to the Jewish culture). Among the other 24 scrolls reportedly kept there, only four others were in a condition whereby they may be restored to their original form or close to it and the rest were merely fragments.

“This is a landmark event for us. Everything that exists in Jewish life is found in the Torah scrolls, so they are sacred to us, regardless of their physical condition,” commented Chief Rabbi of Nikolayev Sholom Gottlieb. “Many thanks go out to the authorities for their understanding of what Torah scrolls are and what value they have for the Jewish people.”

According to Rabbi Sholom Gottlieb, who is also a Chabad Lubavitch emissary serving in the region, these scrolls will be used. They will not only be stored and be looked upon with reverence – they will also be read and used by children and youth. The Jewish community of Nikolayev is a proud member of the Federation of Jewish Communities of Ukraine.