The ceremony marked the first time in decades that the Torah was used for prayer after a long, painstaking process in which every letter of the new scroll was repaired under the guidance of a rabbi known as the "Raider of the Lost Arks" for his work in rescuing and restoring Holocaust-era Torah scrolls.
In 1997, the Synagogue came into possession of a Holocaust-era Torah. Ten years later, with the letters literally falling off the parchment, the Synagogue engaged Rabbi Youlus to restore and re-kosher the scroll using new technology so that it could once again be used for prayer services.
"Most of these scrolls are in glass cases and are looked at, not used," said Conservative Synagogue president Jonathan Fraade. "We have taken a very different approach. We have spent considerable time, money and effort to re-kosher the scroll, to use what the Nazis wanted to prevent us from using."
The Synagogue had already come to know Rabbi Menachem Youlus over the last several years, as he worked with the Synagogue in its ambitious endeavor to write its very own Torah scroll. Working with the Rabbi, congregants of all ages, including children, handwrote each letter of their new scroll. As they wrote, each person was allowed to ask God for a blessing.
"So holy and powerful is the act of writing a letter in a Torah scroll," said Rabbi Youlus, "that you can ask God for anything."
The restored Torah took its place in the ark last week next to the new Torah scroll already ensconced there.
The Conservative Synagogue's Rabbi Jeremy Wiederhorn presided over the ceremony. "We chose to read a selection from the end of the Book of Deuteronomy: 'I have put before you life and death, blessing and curse. Choose life.' (Deut 30:19) We found this verse to be particularly meaningful given our decision to bring this Torah back to life. Once again, it will be used for its intended purpose - to teach us, guide us, and help us celebrate Jewish life."
Congregants Monica and Adam Chusid had arranged for the Torah to be on permanent loan to the Synagogue from the Westminster Trust, a British organization that serves as the repository for scrolls saved from the Nazis. In memory of their daughter Rebecca, the Chusids wanted to make a meaningful contribution to their Synagogue community. "We are blessed to live in our community among giving families and individuals. We now know that our children, family, friends and congregants can look at this Torah as a symbol of the triumph of the Jewish spirit."
Since 1987, Rabbi Youlus has traveled all over the world and has rescued and restored nearly 500 old Torah scrolls stolen or desecrated by the Nazis. Now 46, the former CPA founded the non-profit Save-a-Torah, Inc. at the back of his family's Rockville Maryland bookstore in 2003. He hopes to save at least half of the 2,000 or so Torah scrolls still awaiting rescue throughout Eastern Europe.
The ceremony last week also commemorated the 80th anniversary of the birth of Anne Frank. Teens from the synagogue participated in a moving tribute to Anne Frank, designed by congregant Art Gang, featuring Jack Polak, Chairman Emeritus of the Anne Frank Center USA, and his wife Ena, both Holocaust survivors. "The Anne Frank program was the perfect introduction to the dedication of the shoah scroll," said Jon Fraade. "The hope against all odds that Anne Frank conveyed in her writings was literally brought to life as our synagogue welcomed a Shoah scroll into our community, to be used and revered by generations of Jews."