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Czech Torah Scroll

The Torah number is MST#480
 It is allocated on loan by the Memorial Scrolls Trust

 

We are very fortunate to be custodians of a Czech Scroll. This scroll was written in the first quarter of the 19th Century. It was rescued  from Slavkov Czechoslovakia and was bought to London in 1964. The scroll is kept in the Beit Hamidrash of Woodside Park Synagogue.

It has been restored by the Memorial Scrolls Trust.

For more information on the Memorial Scrolls Trust and how the scrolls were rescued, and their history,

please visit the www.memorialscrollstrust.org

Jewish history of Slavkov

For more information please visit https://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/austerlitz

AUSTERLITZ (Cz. Slavkov u Brna; also Nové Sedlice; Ger. Neu-Sedlitz), town in S. Moravia, now the Czech Republic, famous as the site of Napoleon's victory in 1806. Its Jewish community was one of the oldest in Moravia. It had a cemetery dating from the 12th century and is first mentioned as the place of origin of Moses b. Tobiah, whose Sefer ha-Minhagim is dated 1294; about the same time the existence of a yeshivah there is mentioned. In 1567 the sale of houses between Jews and Gentiles was prohibited, and its Jews owned fields. There were 65 houses in Jewish ownership in Austerlitz before the Thirty Years' War (1618–48), and 30 after it. In 1662 and 1722 the Moravian synod (see  *Landesjudenschaft  ) convened there, and the "shai" (311 = שי״א) takkanot were signed there. At the end of the 17th century the destruction of the Jewish cemetery was ordered. Most of the Jewish quarter, with the synagogue, was burnt down in 1762 and all the Moravian communities contributed toward its reconstruction. Seventy-two families were authorized to reside in Austerlitz in 1798 (see *Familiants  ). A new synagogue was built in 1857, at which time the Jewish population was 544. In 1905 there was an outbreak of antisemitic riots. There were only 66 Jews living in Austerlitz in 1930. Under the Nazi occupation they were deported to Theresienstadt in 1942, and from there to Auschwitz. Synagogue equipment was sent to the Central Jewish Museum  in Prague. The Jewish quarter is preserved in its original form.

Austerlitz gave its name to several Jewish families who are found in Central Europe. 

Further Jewish history information can be found by visting http://iajgscemetery.org/eastern-europe/czech-republic/slavkov-u-brna

Czech Torah Scroll
New Sefer Torah

New Sefer Torah 2022

New Communal Sefer Torah March 2022
Sefer Torah Dedication Jennifer Bloch

Sefer Torah Dedication

in memory of Jennifer Bloch

Woodside Park stops traffic to celebrate
the arrival of a new Sefer Torah

Woodside Park United Synagogue on Sunday was out in force to celebrate the arrival of a new Sefer Torah.

 

The roads around the shul were closed as crowds gathered to dance, sing, and enjoy such a special event for the shul.

 

The Sefer Torah was dedicated in memory of Jennifer Bloch, whose family have been associated with the shul for many years.

 

Jennifer grew up in a Jewish community in north-west London. She trained both as a secretary and a teacher before living and working in Israel for some years. Subsequently, she helped to run the family publishing company of Soncino Press in both London and New York. While in America, Jenni (as she was also known) started teaching at Jewish day schools, and it soon became clear that teaching was her true vocation. It was work that brought together her Jewish background and knowledge, her love of Yiddishkeit, her capabilities as an educator, and her willingness to help others whenever she could.

 

The families decision for this wonderful dedication was made in the realisation that so much of what was important to Jennifer, and so many of the traits that made up her character, are embodied in Jewish scriptures and teachings. Jennifer helped to pass on the lessons of the Torah to the children of Am Yisroel, so it seemed fitting that she should be remembered through the dedication of a Sefer Torah in her name.

 

Dayan Chanoch Ehrentreu was the Guest of Honour at the dedication. A cousin of the Bloch family he told the large gathering that in the material world there is nothing that is eternal, and that permanency can only come from the spiritual. He went on to say that the Torah therefore symbolises eternity and as it is dedicated in Jennifer's name it will have an impact for eternity in its teachings which were demonstrated in Jennifer, she radiated goodness of heart and character, had deep humanity, charm, and an unswerving faith in Hashem, demonstrating spiritual fortitude which remained undaunted even in the darkest days. Her inheritance like the Torah will live on in generations to come.

 

Jennifer's nephew Nick, will be the first to leyn from this special Sefer Torah this Shabbat.

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