Dear Community Member and Friend,

Simchat Torah, the day we celebrate our special connection to the Torah, is now forever etched into our psyche as the day of the worst terrorist attack targeting Jewish people.

That’s right, this past Simchat Torah was October 7th, 2023.

Over 1,200 Jews were killed. Over 250 Jews were taken hostage. Many Jews were wounded. Jewish homes were left grieving and broken. First responders witnessed untold horrors. And every single Jew around the world was impacted at their core.

We are all one. And even if at times we don’t feel that way, our enemies always view us equally.

The truth is, this notion of unity is not new. In fact, it’s embedded in our holy Torah. For a Torah to be used, every single one of the 304,805 letters must be intact; if even one letter is missing, or even imperfectly inscribed, the Torah cannot be used.

This age-old message of the Torah holds true more than ever now; when even one Jew suffers, we all feel it. We are all incomplete. When a Jew halfway across the world is in pain, we are all in pain. While the world may wonder why it is so, we know the truth. We are all one. We are bound together by the Torah, the unifying word of G-d that has kept the Jewish people alive throughout the many difficult times of our history.

We are privileged to share that thanks to the initiative of Ezra Dovid Philipp, we will soon be completing the writing of a special new Torah scroll, right here in Folsom. This scroll is dedicated to the holy kedoshim of Simchat Torah who gave their lives, were held hostage, are held hostage; their families; those that risked everything to save another Jew; and the Jewish community locally and globally that are eternally connected to all of them.

With each letter written in this new Torah, we reveal - again - the unity among all Jews. Our local community with our brothers and sisters around the world. Every letter, every Jew. Our brave soldiers who have fallen protecting our homeland, the Holy Land of Israel. Each hostage, united through each letter.

This Torah binds us all together, this Torah expresses who we are. This Torah proclaims Am Yisrael Chai! It is our prayer that with each holy letter inscribed in this Torah, HaShem will bring peace, health and freedom to every single Jew. Only then will we be complete.

***

The Torah will be completed on Sunday, August 25, 2024. Mark the date in your calendar and please join us to celebrate this special occasion! Browse these pages to learn more about the project and how you too can participate.

Rabbi Yossi & Goldie Grossbaum
Rabbi Yossi and Yudit Spiero