Writing a Letter in a Sefer Torah More Than 160 Years Old

Celebrating a Bar Mitzvah is a momentous occasion not only in the life of the Bar Mitzvah boy but also in the lives of his parents and family.

The Torah scroll, which is the prominent symbol of Jewish life through-out the world and throughout the generations, has the power of connecting every Jew to his past and to his roots.

There is extra added value and excitement when the Torah itself has a story to tell about where it has been and what it has witnessed since it was written more than 160 years ago.

In Machon Ot‘s Bar Mitzvah project “Connecting“, the Bar Mitzvah boy together with his parents, siblings and grandparents are invited to visit the Machon. The visit includes the following elements:

*a presentation and explanation about the Torah: different types of parchment, the number of letters in a Torah, the different types of portions, unusual letters, the makeup of the ink, the preparation of the quill

*an explanation concerning the importance of writing a Torah, the symbol of Jewish tradition

*stories of Jewish heroism regarding the rescue of Torah scrolls throughout Jewish history

The presentation is hands-on, with a variety of Sifrei Torah being opened to show the differences between the Torahs emanating from different parts of the world. Films and pictures of Sifrei Torah with interesting and often fascinating stories will be shown. As we are interested in deepening the connection between the Bar Mitzvah boy and the Torah, our program is especially designed for the Bar Mitzvah boy and his family.

Following the presentation the Bar Mitzvah boy will be able to write the letters of his name in the Torah, thereby adding his name to the unbreakable chain of generations. He will then receive an official Certificate of Recognition from Machon Ot, testimony to his having become a partner in the writing of a Sefer Torah.