Jacksonville Chabad Center Welcomes New Torah

Chabad of Southside in Jacksonville, Florida, under the leadership of Rabbi Shmuli Novack, celebrated its 10th anniversary and the completion of a new Sefer Torah – just in time for the high holidays.

From The Florida Times-Union:

Young children laughed as they lined up to watch a scribe dipping a feather quill into an inkwell to put the finishing touches on a Torah at Chabad of Southside.

Children and adults took turns holding the white feather as Rabbi Levi Vogel of St. Augustine filled out the last of about 600,000 handwritten letters in the most sacred holy book in Judaism.

Sunday’s completion of the Torah is just in time for the Jewish high holidays of Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur.

It also celebrates the 10th anniversary of Chabad of Southside, said Rabbi Shmuli Novack. Chabad is an international Jewish outreach movement.

Novack said the completion of a single Torah can take more than year and cost about $50,000.

“The Torah Scroll continues a heritage dating back to Moses himself and links this and future generations to the vibrant tradition and faith of our people,” he said.

Click here to continue reading at The Florida Times-Union.