Barryville,NY…The Mother Lode Jewish Community is delighted to announce it has donated a Torah Scroll to Camp Tel Yehudah located in New York. A transfer ceremony was held at Temple Israel in Stockton on December 16th. A Torah Scroll is the holiest book within Judaism, made up of the five books of Moses, handwritten in the original Hebrew and rolled up around two ornate wooden shafts attached to either end of the scroll.

(from left) MLJC members: Josh Freedman, Rick Singer, Nancy Singer, David Simons, Brenda Citron, Cindy Lavagetto, Loren Gonella, Rabbi Andra Greenwald, Bill Wittmer, and Camp Tel Yehudah representative, Mac Lindner.

This particular Torah scroll was the second donated to the MLJC. A storage box was constructed by Josh Freedman as part of his Bar Mitzvah project in 2010. The board of the MLJC felt that this wonderful scroll has been underutilized and sought out an organization that might make better use of it. Thanks to the interweaving of various relationships, a connection was made to this unique camp that “ reaches out to all Jewish youth … to create a vibrant, pluralist community where each participant grows personally in the context of a strong and supportive community.” They plan to use it regularly in their many educational programs for Jewish youth.

Notes Vice President Bill Wittmer, “We had searched for over a year before finding what seemed like such a good fit and know this very precious Torah will be put to positive use.”

The ceremony itself was part of the temple’s Friday evening service and was orchestrated by Rabbi Jason Gwasdoff who invited MLJC attendees: MLJC President Richard Singer and his wife Nancy, MLJC VP Bill Wittmer and his wife, Cindy Lavagetto, Immediate PP David Simons and his partner Brenda Citron, Rabbi Andra Greenwald and her husband Loren Gonella, Josh Freedman (the young man who made the box), to join Mac Lindner from the Camp and others under a chuppah held over the Torah while walking around the sanctuary among the joyful congregants. President Rick Singer thanked Rabbi Gwasdoff for providing such a meaningful and most appropriate environment for the beautiful Torah transfer ceremony, “Your own special way of describing, with humor, the interweaving of various relationships that led to this happening added fascinating fun facts and much warmth to the event”.

The MLJC’s mission is to provide opportunities and events that nurture a vibrant and enduring Jewish identity, culture and community in the Mother Lode; with members from Amador, Calaveras, Mariposa and Tuolumne counties.