Adventure Rabbi + Scribe + Donors = Completed New Torah

The Adventure Rabbi community celebrated the completion of their new parchment Torah Sunday night at the Boulder JCC.  About 150 people packed into the BJCC gymnasium to welcome the new Torah and its Sofer, or Scribe, Ron Sieger.  Mr. Sieger had come from his base in Los Angeles to help donors fulfill the mitzvah of writing a Torah by having them help him fill in the final 300 letters.

Rabbi Jamie Korngold shared afterwards:

“For me the most moving moment was when Sarah, Will and Rachel Moody carried the Torah into the auditorium and we all danced around the Torah taking turns holding the scroll. It was so exhilarating to say to a child, ‘Do you want to hold your Torah? Here is your Torah!’ and watch them embrace it.”

Over 120 donors/donor families participated in the campaign over the last year to replace Adventure Rabbi’s worn backpacking-sized Torah in honor of the AR community’s 13th year.  Rabbi Korgold said:

All the donors were wonderful. These are ones who stuck out to me:

•  Kids who saved their money to contribute,
•  Grandparents honoring their grandchildren,
• People who are not involved in our synagogue but wanted to support us. I was personally touched by the Jewish professionals who supported us in this way.

There were people who contributed in other ways, too. The Torah cover squares were made by our Adventure Rabbi Kids families (our Alternative Religious school) and designed and sewn together by Joan Nagel. The wooden top piece was made by  Becca Barenblat. The yad was made by Brad Barenblat and donated by Shari and Ali Wiezbowski.

The full story behind the Torah can be found here at the Adventure Rabbi site.

Here is our slide show from the event.  If your browser doesn’t display the pictures, click here to go to our Picasa album.