A Torah Story

A Torah is among a congregation’s most cherished possessions, containing the foundational narrative of the Jewish people. So when Young Israel of Greater Cleveland learned the Jewish community in Warsaw needed a Torah, they responded by offering one of their own.

“To walk through the streets of Warsaw with this Torah in our arms, and present it to the Jewish community was really special. It was a mitzvah,” said J. David Heller, one of the Federation mission participants who brought the restored Torah from Young Israel in Cleveland to Warsaw, where Jewish life and culture are being revitalized.

“It’s similar to the mitzvah we perform by participating in our annual Campaign for Jewish needs. The Campaign is simply one Jew asking another Jew for help a third Jew—whether they live in Cleveland or anywhere around the world.”