Soltan's Sefer Torah
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The Torah is the most sacred religious article in Jewish life. It is perfectly intact just as we received it some 3,300 years ago. It forms a timeless connection to the past and is the key to a Jewish future. It evokes something special in our hearts, as it represents the unbroken chain of Jewish tradition and survival.
The Torah scroll is hand-written by a Sofer, a scribe, on parchment, a detailed process that can take over a year to complete. Everything from the character of the scribe to the quality of the parchment and type of ink are carefully prescribed. The shape and size of each of the 304,808 letters, as well as the spacing of the lines and empty space, must be perfectly done by hand.
When a new Torah is welcomed into a community it is a tremendous honor and blessing to the community and to the souls of those in whose memory the Torah is dedicated.
This Torah is dedicated to Mr. Earl Katz of blessed memory — Reb Yisorel Dovid ben Eliezer Hakohen, known affectionately to our community as “Soltan.”
Soltan escaped from Europe during World War II, then returned to fight the Nazis as a sharpshooter in the American army. He was a proud Jew, never without his magen david necklace. He gathered many friends with his humor and charm. He gave joy and received joy in return. He remained a fighter, sharp, and a proud Jew until the end.
This Torah is being dedicated in honor of Soltan’s first Yartzeit. The Torah will be hosted by Chabad NP, one of the synagogues that Soltan used to attend and where he had many friends and admirers.
