The National Council of Young Israel (NCYI) marked the departure of American high school students traveling to Israel for the summer who transported a Sefer Torah that will be presented to soldiers serving in the Israel Defense Forces (IDF). The Sefer Torah is being given to the soldiers through the Sefer Torah Program, which is a joint initiative of the NCYI and the Rabbinate of the IDF. This was the 181st Sefer Torah that the NCYI has donated to the IDF to be used on remote army bases throughout Israel, so that soldiers on active military duty are able to maintain their religious practices while serving in the army. Each of the 181 Sifrei Torah has been taken to Israel on El Al Airlines.
The students, who departed from JFK International Airport, were traveling to Israel as part of the National Council of Young Israel’s Achva Israel summer program, which is now in its 29th season. Achva Israel, a touring and travel program for post-10th graders, features five weeks visiting Eretz Yisroel.
Seventy Achva participants and staff members danced with the Sefer Torah in the airport before boarding the plane. Rabbi Bennett Rackman, the rov of the shul at JFK International Airport, was instrumental in coordinating the celebration at the airport.
“Watching dozens celebrating with the Torah while displaying such great emotion was especially inspiring,” said NCYI First Vice President Eli Dworetsky, who participated in the celebration.The overwhelming success of the NCYI/IDF Sefer Torah Program, which began in 2001, is the result of the ongoing efforts of NCYI Executive Vice President Rabbi Pesach Lerner and Major (res.) Rabbi Yedidya Atlas, who represents the Chief Rabbi of the IDF Rabbinate. Both Rabbi Lerner and Rabbi Atlas recognized the need to ensure that Israeli soldiers have access to tashmishei kedushah, such as Sifrei Torah, during their time in the army.
{Noam Amdurski-Matzav.com Newscenter}
mazel tov! beautiful simcha!