The Young Israel of Teaneck is readying for a hachnasat sefer Torah on Sunday, October 29, 2017. The new Torah is being donated by Dr. David and Freeda Muller in honor of their parents, Zahava and Yehuda Muller, and Marcia and Harold Ribakow, z”l, and Freeda’s brother, Hirsch Ribakow, z”l.

“I first thought of doing this when I was at my first hachnasat sefer Torah many years ago,” Dr. Muller said. “It was something I just thought I would really love to do. Then Freeda and I started talking about it more seriously about a year ago.”

This event is a big milestone in the Young Israel of Teaneck community. This past Sunday, October 22, Rabbi Yitzchak Weinberger, a sofer, taught the community about how to make a sefer Torah. This coming Shabbat, Rabbi Beni Krohn will be speaking to the shul at 4:30 p.m. on “Are We Obligated To Write Our Own Sefer Torah?” to prepare everyone for the upcoming event.

On October 29, the community will be stopping by the Mullers’ house from 9 a.m. to 11:30 p.m. to make a l’chaim and to help write letters in the Torah. Then at 12 p.m., everyone will dance the new Torah from the Mullers (717 Stelton Street) to the Young Israel building for a gala celebration.

“The arrival of our new Torah is a twofold celebration for our community,” Rabbi Krohn said. “On the one hand, it is a celebration of the Muller family’s amazing dedication to our kehila and our appreciation of their generosity and commitment to our community.

“At the same time, as we dance this new Torah through the streets to our shul, we display our pride in being able to live lives that are driven by the values of Torah and mitzvot. It is a great teaching moment for the whole community.”

The greater Teaneck community is invited to join in the Young Israel’s celebration and to join in the dancing.

By Larry Stiefel