Our Torah Scrolls
Sisterhood Torah
Our most commonly used Torah, the “Sisterhood Torah” is so named since it was purchased for the Temple in the late 1990’s during a Sisterhood sponsored fundraising drive. The Torah Scroll exhibits “Bet Yoseph” style of writing. The Torah was written in Germany and is over 100 years old.
New York Torah
Our largest and heaviest Torah Scroll, this Torah was purchased by the Lowe family in the mid 1990’s in New York City, thus designating it as the “New York Torah”. The Torah Scroll exhibits “Bet Yoseph/Arizel” style of writing. The Torah was written in Germany and is over 105 years old.
Alpert Family Torah
This Torah Scroll, with some of the most beautiful script of all of our Torah Scrolls, was donated to the Temple in 2015 by past temple president Amy Alpert’s father, Dr. Harvey Alpert. The donation is in honor of her great uncle Louis Segel z”l and her father Dr. Harvey Alpert z”l. This Torah was purchased in Vilna, Poland by Amy Alpert’s great grandfather, Isaac Segel for his synagogue, Temple Tiferith Israel in Everett MA. Harvey Alpert read his Bar Mitzvah Torah portion from this very Torah. The Torah was obtained following the dissolution of the Everett Temple. The Torah exhibits “Bet Yoseph” style of writing and was written in Poland. It is over 100 years old.
There is an interesting story to this Torah. Amy’s uncle, Louis Segel, was the architect for Temple Tifereth Israel. On an August evening in 1982 an electrical fire swept through this building. The congregation’s Rabbi and three fire chaplains, all Roman Catholic Priests, risked their lives entering the smoky, burning building to rescue the Torah scrolls. These same men were asked to carry the scrolls back to the ark once the building was rededicated in 1983.
Sephardic Torah
This unique Torah Scroll, written in the Sephardic Tradition, on gazelle skin, was purchased by temple member Jennifer Yormak in memory of her father Dr. Stanley Yormak. Written in North Africa, the scroll is over 300 years old and exhibits “Bet Yoseph” style of writing.