A Torah scroll, much like a person, has a past, present, and future. Our Czech scroll, written around 150 years ago, hails from Ostrava in Moravia. As a Holocaust survivor, it bears the identification number MST#1490.
Jews had lived in Ostrava for 600 years, with a formal community established in 1875. Before the Holocaust, the Jewish population reached 10,000, contributing significantly to Ostrava’s growth into Czechoslovakia’s third-largest city. Tragically, only 253 of those deported during the Holocaust survived, and today, there is no substantial Jewish community there.
During WWII, 1,564 Torah scrolls from Bohemia and Moravia were saved by the Prague Jewish community. These scrolls were later stored in the Prague Jewish Museum. In 1964, philanthropist Ralph Yablon acquired them and donated them to Westminster Synagogue, leading to the establishment of the Memorial Scrolls Trust. This independent charity preserves and shares these Czech Torah Scrolls, with many displayed at the Czech Scrolls Museum in Knightsbridge, and others lent to communities worldwide.
Cockfosters and North Southgate Synagogue received two Czech Torah scrolls on permanent loan from the Memorial Scrolls Trust. The primary condition of the loan is active use within the community. While one scroll has been returned, MST#1490 continues to play a vital role in our services, especially during Yom Tovim (Festivals), serving as a poignant reminder of our shared history and legacy.
Learn more about the Memorial Scrolls Trust and Museum here https://memorialscrollstrust.org/