Murdered Jews of Pribram Commemorated

Susan Boyer and other friends of the Memorial Scrolls Trust were present in Pribram, Czech Republic, on 3rd June for the unveiling ceremony of a memorial stone for Shoah victims from Pribram. We just received a copy of the words spoken by the mayor of the town, Jindrich Vereka:

"Dear Rabbi Sidon [Chief Rabbi, Czech Republic], dear Mrs. [Susan] Fisher Boyer, dear Mrs. [Judy] Mannaberg Goldman, dear Mrs. [Beverly] Karp, dear [200] guests:

Let me welcome you, in this rare moment, on behalf of Pribram City Hall.

We have gathered here today to honour the memory of the Jews  fallen and martyred during the Second World War.  Unfortunately, we would be hardly able to find another nation which was throughout its long history persecuted as much as the Jewish one.  Synonyms such as genocide, the Holocaust, the extermination, the Shoah, pogroms, and others accompany the nation for tens of centuries.

To say the truth, it is a miracle that despite all the centuries of persecution the Jewish nation survived.  And in today's world, it represents not only moral but also economic power, which can't be missed.  In addition it is necessary to mention the tiny percentage of Jewish people to the world population--only a quarter of one percent.  This gives reason to admire even more the deep trace left by this pious and capable nation in the annals of  mankind.

Today, at this place, we commemorate the tragic fate of the Jewish population during the Second World War, and not only of Jewish people from Pribram.  It is very sad to say that once again it was just the Jewish nation that suffered the most.  With great respect we remember, and we will always remember, the unimaginable number of 6 million lost human lives, which at that time meant more than two thirds of Europe's Jewish population.

I am really proud that just by virtue of my position as the Mayor of Pribram, I can take part in these memorial events and give a clear signal of not only my personal, but also the official, attitude to this delicate issue.

I sympathize with all killed, murdered and fallen members of the Jewish nation and express my respect to them.  We are standing here today because nothing like this could even happen again.

Thank you"

Czech Scrolls at Limmud UK 2012

If you're planning to be at Limmud UK next week at Warwick University, why not check out the MST presentation? You may find it in the catalogue under "The Czech Scrolls - a second life". This is how they catalogued us:

The Czech scrolls - a second life
Ariel Friedlander
Location:  Ram 2
Tracks:  Now & Then
Type:  Lecture
The Memorial Scroll Trust's collection of 1564 Torah scrolls from Czechoslovakia are almost all that was left of the Jewish communities of Bohemia and Moravia after the Shoah. What roles may and do they play currently in the lives of congregations and organisations across the world?

What, you'd like a date and time as well? Ok ... next Wednesday 26th December at 22:15. See you there!

Scrolls Reunion

Czech Torah Scrolls from Dale Bluestein on Vimeo.

Earlier this year, scrolls from the MST collection that were previously together in the town of Susice were reunited in a Yom HaShoah memorial service in Princeton, New Jersey. This brief film reports on the event.

The MST is hoping to do something similar in 2014 to mark the 50th anniversary of the arrival of the scrolls in London. If your community has a scroll, why not encourage people to bring it to Kent House on 8th February 2014?! If you start now, you'll have time to save up for the ticket ... and if you watch this film, the rabbi will give you a tip on how to shave a little off the cost :-)

Dobrý Den!

Better late than never, we've decided to join the world of Blogging! It's another way to communicate through the ether with those who are interested in the lives of Torah Scrolls, the history of the Jewish people, the Jews of Bohemia and Moravia, and the heritage of the Shoah.

We hope to bring you notes and queries about the 1564 Torah scrolls in the collection of the Memorial Scrolls Trust, share photographs from then and now; and perhaps even discuss and debate thoughts engendered by our encounters with the Scrolls and their people.

It seems appropriate that we reach out to you all in the week that the Children of Israel approach Mount Sinai  and prepare to receive the Torah. May its light illuminate the work we do.

Chag Sameach!