Temple Tiferet Shalom is privileged to house two Torahs from the Memorial Scrolls Trust. These Torahs are part of the 1,564 Torahs that were rescued from the ashes of the Shoah (Holocaust). Below are their history and journey to Peabody, MA.
Torah #78
Torah #78 is originally from Seldec-Prčice, a town in the Czech Republic where there was a small Jewish community. Jews likely came into the town in the 17th century, and the peak Jewish population was around 46 people. Presently, there are only remnants of Jewish life around the town. There is an old synagogue, now with a sports equipment factory inside, and a cemetery maintained by the Jewish community in Praha. This Torah was written around the year 1750.
The Torah was acquired in 1995, when the Marenburg and Tapper families went on a trip to London. While there, they were asked by the president of Temple Beth Shalom, Martha Rose, to visit Westminster Synagogue, where the Torahs from the Holocaust Torah Adoption Program are held to bring one back. The Marenburg and Tapper families went through the racks of Torahs and found the perfect one, which is now at home in our temple.
Torah #374
Torah #374 originates from the town of Slavkov in Moravia, also known in German as Austerlitz. Moravia had one of the oldest Jewish presences in Central Europe. One of the illustrious figures from the town was Moses ben Tobiah, who in 1294 authored Sefer ha-Minhagim (The Book of Customs), which details medieval Ashkenazi customs and rituals. The town also included a yeshiva, a school of Jewish learning. At the beginning of the 17th century, the town had about 60 Jewish families. It had a Jewish cemetery, but at the end of the century, the cemetery was destroyed. In 1763, the synagogue was destroyed by a fire and was eventually rebuilt with the help of the surrounding communities. In 1857, a new synagogue was inaugurated, and 15 years later, a new Jewish cemetery was created. During that time, the Jewish population was 544, but in 1930, the population decreased to 66. During the Nazi invasion in 1938, some managed to escape, but many were deported to the death camps. To this day, there is a Jewish cemetery left in town. The synagogue is now used as a Jewish museum, which includes a memorial plaque to commemorate the victims of the Shoah.
This Torah was a gift from the Brudnick family, who presented it to honor and remember their parents. It was written toward the end of the 19th century and is all that remains from the Jewish community in Austerlitz-Slakov, Czechoslovakia. It was consecrated on May 15, 1975, to celebrate Temple Tiferet Israel’s 45th anniversary.
Today, these Torahs are housed at Temple Tiferet Shalom where their stories will never be forgotten.
~ History completed by the Confirmation Class of 5785
