A Torah of their own
10:00 PM PDT on Friday, June 3, 2011
By DAVID OLSON
The Press-Enterprise
There are 304,805 letters in the Torah. The Jewish holy book that was specially commissioned for Chabad Jewish Community Center of Riverside is missing only 98.
Until a scribe Sunday writes those final Hebrew letters describing the greatness of Moses and how he led Jews out of slavery in Egypt, the Torah cannot be used, said Chabad Rabbi Shmuel Fuss.
"This represents how each letter is important," Fuss said. "Even if one letter is missing, the Torah is not complete. The Torah is the living guidebook of our people forever."
Kurt Miller / The Press-Enterprise
Rabbi Shmuel Fuss stands next to the new Torah at the Chabad Jewish Community Center in Riverside. On Sunday the center will celebrate the completion of the Torah by having a scribe finish its final 98 letters.
After a Los Angeles scribe places his quill onto the cowhide parchment paper and carefully writes the last few words in black ink, Chabad will formally dedicate the Torah.
The Torah is only the second that Fuss is aware of that was specially commissioned for an Inland Jewish congregation. The other is at Temple Emanu El in Redlands.
The Torah — the biblical books of Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy — is the holiest text in Judaism and the foundation of Jewish law and teachings.
All but the first and last few words of the new Torah were written by a rabbi in Jerusalem. The 62 pieces of parchment were sewn together in Jerusalem. Work began 18 months ago.
Chabad Riverside supporters and the Fuss family and their friends paid the $50,000 cost of the Torah and related expenses. Some people donated specific letters, words, verses, readings and books of the sacred text.
Anita Baumoel, her husband Kermit and her sister paid for the sterling silver pointer that will be used to turn the Torah's pages. It is in honor of another of Baumoel's sisters, Mildred Kessler, who died last year. Kessler was a Hebrew teacher "and we thought the pointer would be very appropriate for her," Baumoel said.
Chabad Riverside has been using loaner Torahs since it was founded in 2005. Baumoel, 81, said it's important the center have a Torah of its own.
"We want to have our ritual items, so they belong to us," Baumoel said. "We want something that's our own."
Reach David Olson at 951-368-9462 or dolson@PE.com