A significant and joyous event took place in the Dnipro Jewish Community – the completion of writing and the ceremonial donation of a new Sefer Torah to the Chabad community of Vinnytsia, in the merit of Igor Kolomoisky, son of Zoia, for his speedy release and long life, from his friends and the Dnipro Jewish Community.
The solemn ceremony of completing the Sefer Torah, hosted by Rabbi Moshe Leib Weber, was held in the “Ball Room” of the world’s largest Jewish center, “Menorah.” It was attended by numerous members of the Dnipro Jewish Community, a delegation from the Vinnytsia community led by the city’s Chief Rabbi Shaul Horowitz, as well as students and teachers of the “Tomchei Tmimim Yeshiva Ktana Ukraine” led by Rosh Yeshiva Rabbi Eliyahu Heifer. The Sefer Torah itself was written by the National Sofrut Center under the direction of Rabbi Reuven Margolin.
Addressing those present were the Chief Rabbi of Dnipro and the region, Shmuel Kaminezki; the Chief Rabbi of Vinnytsia, Shaul Horowitz; and one of the leaders of the revival of Jewish life in Ukraine, esteemed community member Reb Yitzchak Fridman. They emphasized the immense significance of this event both for the Vinnytsia Jewish community and for strengthening Jewish unity and fulfilling the high mission of Tikkun Olam – the spiritual perfection of the world.
The right to inscribe the final letters of the new Sefer Torah was granted to many members of the Dnipro Jewish Community. This is considered not only a great honor but also a special merit, the significance of which was repeatedly emphasized by the Leader of our generation – the Seventh Lubavitcher Rebbe, Menachem Mendel Schneerson.
After the writing was completed, the Chief Rabbi of Vinnytsia, Shaul Horowitz, lifted the Sefer Torah, and Reb Yitzchak Fridman dressed it in a festive mantle and crowned it with a crown. Then, under a wedding canopy – a Chuppah – the new Sefer Torah was solemnly carried through the galleries of the Menorah Center. The festive procession then made its way through the historic Jewish quarter of Dnipro and brought the Sefer Torah through the main entrance into the “Golden Rose” Central Synagogue, where traditional hakafos took place.
“I want to express my deep gratitude to the unique Dnipro Jewish Community and personally to its Chief Rabbi, Shmuel Kaminezki, who do so much for the development and strengthening of Jewish life not only in their own city but also help other communities. This support is especially valuable in these challenging times,” noted Chief Rabbi of Vinnytsia Shaul Horowitz. “We accept this Sefer Torah with immense gratitude and love. It will become a sacred treasure for our community and yet another symbol of the unbreakable bond between the Jews of Vinnytsia and the united and cohesive Dnipro Jewish Community under the leadership of Chief Rabbi Shmuel Kaminezki.”
