You are reading the Torah in the synagogue and you see that a letter is missing or not legible, or that a word is misspelled.

You remove a Torah from the Ark and you notice that mold is beginning to develop or you discover holes in the parchment.

The Torah seems fine but there seems to be a problem with the “atzei chaiim”(wooden rollers).

Your synagogue is about close its doors. What fate awaits its Torah scrolls?

Torah scrolls which survived the Holocaust– can they be restored to their pre-war condition and returned to synagogue use?

In all these situations, and with regards to any question which may arise concerning a Torah scroll, the address to turn to is Machon Ot recognized internationally for its expertise in renewing and preserving Torah scrolls.

Once the Torah arrives at Machon Ot the physical condition of the parchment (dirt, mold, dampness, fungus, torn stitching, tears in the parchment, etc.) and its script (letters whose color is no longer deep black, letters which are showing signs of disintegrating, etc.) are  appraised and duly noted.

If repairs, cleaning and/or preservation are indicated the cost of such work and the estimated time involved are presented to the client who then must decide on how he wishes to proceed. A photograph is then taken of a specific section of the Torah and based on this photograph the Torah is given its unique code against theft.

It should be noted that all corrections or improvements to the Torah’s script are done in exactly the same style as written by the scribe who wrote the Torah. The cleaning and preservation of the scroll is done by using special chemical agents prepared especially for this purpose.

The final step in this process, if deemed necessary, is a computer scan of the entire Torah which will determine whether any letters are missing. A bi-product of the computer scan is the disc which is given to the owner thereby providing him with additional proof of ownership.