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Hillel celebrates Torah Rededication

On Sunday, November 13, 2011, Bama Hillel welcomed our Torah back to Tuscaloosa with great joy. The simcha was celebrated by over 120 guests,  including six rabbis from around the state.  Students, alumni, parents, trustees, faculty, and other supporters and friends of Hillel enjoyed the luncheon and ceremony, which was led by Rabbi Bernard Honan and Rabbi Steve Jacobs. Rabbi Honan, a specially trained Torah Sofer – scribe –  recently completed restoring our torah. The final 12 letters were filled in at the ceremony by honorary scribes representing our large community of supporters. Rimonim, which are ornaments for the tops of the Torah scrolls, were presented by Faye Levin on behalf of the Institute for Southern Jewish Life.

Following the completion of the torah, Rabbi Jacobs carried the torah outside and four Hillel students – board members Jason Unger, Meghan Wilgus, and Bryan Kellert, and intern Lauren Ward – held the Chuppah, a traditional wedding canopy also used when dedicating a torah. The students and guests danced with the torah while the “Magic Shtetl Klezmer Band” from Birmingham provided lively traditional Jewish music. The Torah then made its way back into the building; after a customary processional that circled the room three times, the Torah was finally placed in the Ark by the students to shouts of “Mazel Tov!”

Two stories about the celebration were featured in the Tuscaloosa News this week; click to see the Saturday, (Nov. 12) article or the Monday (Nov. 14) article.

These are the 12 honorary scribes that filled in the last letters of our Torah, on behalf of the wonderful groups that provide so much support to Bama Hillel.

Foundations: Fred Friedman

Temple Emanu-el of Tuscaloosa: Joel Whitman

Religious Clergy: Rabbi Steven Jacobs

Federations: Daniel Odrezin

Young Alumni: Isa Dorsky

Student Board: Heather Rousso

Alumni: Mark Bloomston

Volunteers: Rebecca Rothman

Parents: Anna Singer

Honan Family: Rachel Honan

Bloom Family: Ashley Metsky

Siegal Family: Don Siegal