We got a Torah!
One of my all-time favorite books is “The Alchemist” by Paulo Coelho. The premise of the book is that every person has a “Personal Legend,” essentially that individual’s purpose. The book posits that, all too often, we ignore our Personal Legends fearing failure or thinking the legend is too outlandish. However, if we are to give ourselves over to pursuing our Personal Legend, the universe conspires to help us fulfill our dream.
Lately, working on building Karov, I’ve felt like the universe has certainly been lending me a hand. Everything from meeting people seeking community in the most unexpected places. To stumbling upon St. Tim’s Episcopal Church, which has led to the beginning of a beautiful partnership. Finally, to receiving a Torah on my front porch.
In case you have never explored purchasing a Torah, they are quite pricey. A used Torah usually starts around $15,000 while a new Torah is usually starts around $50,000. My dream was that someday Karov would have the funds to get our own Torah.
It felt a bit like fate when last fall I saw Rabbi Jason van Leeuwen post on the Truah listserv that his synagogue was looking to donate some damaged Torah scrolls. The email exchange with Reb Jason started around Thanksgiving and the last I had heard was that I would be notified when the Torah was shipped. So it was quite a surprise when yesterday I discovered a box on my front porch from Temple B’nai Hayim, Reb Jason’s synagogue.
The box was so light, I thought it couldn’t possibly be the Torah scroll. But, it turns out we were gifted the lightest Torah I have ever held!
The weight of a Torah is largely a result of the amount of parchment used, which varies depending on the Torah’s height and the size of the font, and the thickness of the parchment. Our new Torah has beautiful, tiny handwriting and very thin parchment. Most Torah scrolls are between fifteen and twenty-five pounds. Our new Torah weighs around six pounds!
One of the surprising delights in launching Karov is the number of children who are present at every gathering. Holding our new Torah, I had visions of the kids who are now six and eight years old as middle schoolers at their B’nai Mitzvah ceremonies. I could so clearly imagine them carrying around our Torah, without struggling from the weight, and then proudly reading the sacred stories and wisdom that Jewish people have treasured for thousands of years.
At this point, I don’t know the extent of the damage to this Torah and we will need to raise funds to have it repaired and also to have an ark built. However, my hope is that Karov’s Torah will be kosher (without any damage) by August, when I will be officiating two B’nai Mitzvah ceremonies. In the meantime, I plan to bring our Torah to upcoming Karov events so that our community can feel the same joy I felt witnessing the universe conspiring to help our community.
