By East Hampton Today
It’s not often that you get to see history being written before your very eyes. But that is exactly what is happening right now. The Chabad Jewish Center in Glastonbury has undertaken the writing of a brand new Torah scroll.
This new Torah has been commissioned in memory of Mark Tsvok, who passed away tragically at the age of 15. Its primary sponsor is Mark’s father, Ilya.
The writing of a Kosher Torah scroll is a thorough and exhaustive exercise.
The time-honored ritual of the writing of a Torah scroll involves many detailed customs and rites, from the material used – authentic parchment, natural ink and a special quill, to the color and style of the biblical font, to the manner in which a Torah is written – copied word-for-word from a previously written scroll, to the credentials of the Scribe.
As part of the process, the Scribe – a trained and experienced writer of scrolls in the ancient tradition – will present workshops at many area schools.
The Scribe’s Torah-writing workshops are scheduled as follows: Tuesday, Feb. 24: 9 a.m. – Lubavitch Yeshiva Academy, 1148 Converse St., Springfield, MA; 10:30 a.m. – Hebrew High School of New England, 1244 North Main St., West Hartford; 12:30 p.m. – Solomon Schechter Day School, 26 Buena Vista Road, West Hartford; 4 p.m. – Chabad Hebrew School, 141 Hopmeadow St., Simsbury.
Wednesday, Feb. 25: 9:30 a.m. – Hebrew Academy of Greater Hartford, 53 Gabb Road, Bloomfield; 11:45 a.m. – Aleph Bet Preschool, 25 Harris St., Glastonbury; 2:30 p.m. – Hebrew Academy of Greater Hartford, 53 Gabb Road, Bloomfield; 4 p.m. – Jewish Enrichment Program, 25 Harris St., Glastonbury
To schedule a visit to one of these workshops, or for more information regarding the writing of this special Torah, please call Rabbi Yosef Wolvovsky at (860) 659-2422. The Rabbi may also be reached by email at JewishLearning@snet.net
