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Torah, torah, torah!

By Evan Gardner
The Brooklyn Paper
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Yaakov Ciment
Rabbi Shimon Hecht joined members of Chabad of Prospect Heights West in welcoming a new torah scroll on Sunday. And there was much rejoicing.

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It may have looked like a wedding processional, but this “father of the bride” was giving away a new torah.

Around 200 of the faithful opened up the new Chabad of Prospect Heights in the most important way on Sunday — welcoming a new torah scroll to the synagogue on Vanderbilt Avenue between Dean and Pacific streets.

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Following the wedding-like procession (with a chuppah!) down Vanderbilt Avenue led by Rabbi Shimon Hecht (pictured), the holy roll was ushered in and feted as the center of attention. And there was much rejoicing.

Obtaining a hand-written torah scroll — which includes the Old Testament’s five books of Moses, the centerpiece of Jewish faith — is not as simple as ordering one online at Amazon.com.

This torah, for example, once belonged to a famed Midwood rabbi, but had not been used since his death in the 1970s. Last year, his widow donated it and, after a year of inspection and re-tooling, it was back and better than ever. Even lapsed believers got caught up in the excitement.

“This event reignited my Jewish feeling and I’m looking forward to praying at the Chabad center,” said Jason Goldfarb, 27, a resident of Prospect Heights who was on hand.

Chabad of Prospect Heights [569 Vanderbilt Ave., between Dean and Pacific streets, (347) 622-3599].

©2008 The Brooklyn Paper

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