Yavneh Academy hosted Jeffrey Ohrenstein from the London based “Memorial Scrolls Trust.”

This organization took upon itself the preservation and distribution of over 1,500 sifrei Torah that were saved from destruction during the second World War.

Jewish communities from throughout the region of Bohemia-Moravia sent their precious sifrei Torah, and other Judaica artifacts, to Prague where they were stored during the years 1942-43. Nazi atrocities wiped out the large majority of the Jews of these same communities.

After the defeat of Nazi Germany, small numbers of surviving Jews returned. Before they could adequately plan for the protection and distribution of hundreds of thousands of articles, including 2,000 sifrei Torah, communist authorities conquered the Central European country and rehoused the Torahs in damp and unsafe quarters, thereby rendering hundreds completely pasul, unusable.

Yavneh Academy was gifted one of these Torah scrolls thirty three years ago by the Class of 1985, some of whose children are current Yavneh eighth graders. Due to severe damage while under the communist regime,� it can no longer be read from. Hence, it is housed in a special glass enclosure where it is viewed each year on Yom HaShoah.