On Wednesday, the National Council of Young Israel (NCYI) and the International Young Israel Movement – Israel Region (IYIM) donate a Sefer Torah to the IDF for the 187th time. This was done as part of a project which has been running for the past 12 years and was initiated by NCYI Executive Vice President Rabbi Pesach Lerner and Rabbi Yedidya Atlas of the IDF Rabbinate. The project allows for IDF soldiers in bases throughout Israel to fulfill their spiritual needs.
The NCYI – Ruby Davidman Sifrei Torah for the IDF project is named Ruby Davidman, a gentleman who made aliyah over 30 years ago. During a special ceremony attended by Davidman’s wife on Wednesday morning, the Sefer Torah was placed in the aron kodesh of a shul located in the IDF’s main base in Gush Etzion. The donated Sifrei Torah are brought to Eretz Yisroel from shuls throughout North America. They are in a worn or damaged state and donors are found to repair them and rededicate them in memory of loved ones. Upon their arrival in Israel, the Sifrei Torah are placed in different army bases according to the needs of the IDF.
This particular Sefer Torah was rededicated by Joe and Rozanne Polansky (formerly of North Bellmore, NY, now Yerushalayim) and Gershon and Braina Tryfus (of West Hempstead, NY) through the Gemach of Young Israel of North Bellmore.
“The National Council of Young Israel is proud to be the conduit for so many Young Israel and non Young Israel synagogues in the USA and Canada to send our IDF soldiers a Torah scroll for their daily and Shabbat needs,” said Rabbi Pesach Lerner. “These soldiers put their lives on the line every day to protect their people and land, this is the very least we can do. It is indeed an honor.”
Read more at Arutz Shevah.
{Arutz Shevah/Matzav.com}
Beautiful act.
Now soldiers have a sefer torah for tefillah, baruch hashem.