Letter by Letter, Heschel Students Help Honor 10/7 Hero
Heschel had the privilege of welcoming an Israeli sofer stam (Torah scroll scribe) to our school. The Sefer Torah being written was commissioned in memory of Elchanan Kalmanson, honoring his extraordinary heroism at Kibbutz Be’eri on October 7. This sacred Torah is traveling around the world, inviting Jews everywhere to take part in the mitzvah of writing a Sefer Torah, and will ultimately be housed in the rebuilt synagogue at Kibbutz Be’eri.
Students across grades and divisions had the opportunity to stand alongside the sofer, Rabbi David Avraham Pressman, and complete a letter in the Sefer Torah. As each letter was written, Rabbi Pressman offered a blessing, that just as our students were privileged to complete a letter in the Torah, so too may they be blessed with lives filled with purpose, joy, and wisdom.
During last week’s Hachana L’Shabbat, High School students heard highlights from the Seekers of the Torah Scroll Revealed minyan, gaining a behind-the-scenes look at how a Sofer creates a Torah scroll and the thoughtful choices involved in writing each letter, which provided more meaning to this week’s Sofer visit.
