The Torah Scroll is a parchment made of the Kosher animal skin, hand-written in a special script by a skilled scribe trained for this work. The parchment is wound between two wooden poles with decorated handles. It contains the entire text of the Five Books of Moses.

The first Torah Scroll was written by Moses directly from the words of God. Before his death, in his last words, Moses told Jewish people to read the Torah and to find in it answers to all the vital questions of life.

Since then, many identical copies were written so the tradition to write the Torah Scroll for each Jewish community was retained by present days.

Each synagogue has its own Torah Scroll which is read aloud on different occasions, such as Sabbath mornings and afternoons, on many Jewish Holidays. Carrying a Torah scroll and reading it aloud is the most sacramental part of the service in the synagogue.

Without any doubt you may say that the Torah Scroll is the representation of Judaism itself. It is an evident expression of our eternal bond with God and His wise guidance and care for His people.

As the original, Kosher Torah Scrolls are highly expensive, their printed replicas are used for study and teaching purposes.

The Holiday Simchat Torah means “Rejoicing the Torah”

On Simchat Torah the Jewish people read the concluding Torah chapter and right away start to read the first chapter of Genesis. This is a symbol, that the Torah is the eternal and never ending circle of Creator’s Word.

It is called “Rejoicing the Torah” because People take the Sefer Torah – the Torah scroll from the Ark and walk with it around the synagogue in a joyful procession, While they dance and sing with the Torah.

You can read more about Jewish holidays, the life in the Holy Land and more, at are Magazin.