The ceremonial completion and introduction of a new Torah Scroll, which was created in honor of Alexander Fridkis and donated by the Jewish community of Dnipro, took place in the Israeli city of Petah Tikva.
This Torah Scroll was donated to the synagogue “Russian-Speaking Community of Chabad Petah Tikva”, which is headed by the Shaliach of the Lubavitcher Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem-Mendel Cohen and which unites many immigrants from Ukrainian cities who currently live in Israel.
It is no coincidence that this Torah Scroll was introduced to the Petah Tikva synagogue on the 7th of Adar, because it is the birthday and day of the Yoretzeit Moshe Rabbeinu, which is considered the day of “Chevra Kadisha” structures throughout the world. Alexander Fridkis, who was the rabbi of the synagogue and the head of the affairs of the Jewish religious community of Dnipro, headed the Dnipro brotherhood “Chevra Kadisha” for many years.
“I am very grateful to the Chief Rabbi of Dnipro Shmuel Kaminetsky and the entire Jewish community of the city of Dnipro, who presented us with this Torah Scroll,” Rabbi Menachem-Mendel Cohen declared at the beginning of the ceremony, “I want to emphasize that it was created in honor and for the upliftment of the soul of Alexander Fridkis, as well as in honor of Melnikova Lyubov Andreyevna, Melnikov Mikhail Yakovych, Korol Euphrosyne Nikolaevna, Zaremba Anatoly Valentinovich, Korol Ivan Grigorovich.”
During the celebrations, a specially prepared video about Alexander Fridkis and his outstanding role in the revival of the Jewish community of Dnipro and Ukraine was shown, as well as a video greeting from the Chief Rabbi of Dnipro Shmuel Kaminetsky, the Chairman of the Council of the Federation of Jewish Communities of Ukraine Rabbi Meir Stambler and other Jewish leaders.
Several hundred people came to take part in this outstanding event, and more than a hundred of them were honored to write a letter in the Torah Scroll, because according to tradition, a new Scroll is written in the very community where it will be used for G-d worship. The following took part in the celebrations of the introduction of the new Torah Scroll: Mayor of Petah Tikva Rami Greenberg, Chief Shaliach Chabad Rabbi Asher Daich, representatives of the city’s Sephardic community and Chabad Shaliachs from different communities.
After the Suva was completed, a solemn procession took place, which passed along the main street of the city, Chaim Ozer, to Kikar Trump Square. “It was a very inspiring sight,” said Chaim Levi Gildin, who participated in the festivities, “all along the way of this procession, shopkeepers and ordinary passers-by joined us, trying to kiss the Torah Scroll and share the joy of such a significant event, for which the central street was closed. I was proud that this happened thanks to my native community of the city of Dnipro.”
After returning to the synagogue, the traditional Akafot were held, and at the end – a festive meal, during which many “lechaim” were recited and numerous stories were told about Alexander Fridkis, in whose honor the new Torah Scroll was presented.
