Congregation Beth Israel Displays New Commemorative Torah Cover

Congregation Beth Israel (CBI) in Scotch Plains revealed a new Torah cover dedicated to the memory of the 1200 souls who perished in Israel on October 7, 2023 and the many hostages and soldiers who have died since. CBI obtained the Torah cover by participating in a worldwide effort called The Simchat Torah Project.

Hamas’ deadly attack on Israel on October 7th coincided with the Jewish holiday of Simchat Torah, which traditionally is a joyous holiday when Jews celebrate by dancing with the Torah. The goal of the Simchat Torah project was to unite Jews across the globe in their collective tribute to the Israelis killed on Simchat Torah in 2023 while encouraging them to be resilient and hopeful and to celebrate again in 2024.

Congregation Beth Israel held two age-appropriate services for Simchat Torah on Thursday, October 24, providing congregants many opportunities to see its special commemorative Torah cover and to dance with it.

Through The Simchat Torah project, identical blue-and-white Torah covers were created for 1,600 synagogues worldwide. The front of every Torah cover is embroidered with the flag of Israel along with the familiar words, written in Hebrew, from Ecclesiastes, “There is a time to mourn and a time to dance.” The front of each Torah cover also displays an inscription dedicated to the memory of the 1,200 Israelis killed on October 7th as well as to the hostages and soldiers who died afterwards.

The back of each Torah cover is unique; each back is embroidered with the name of one person who passed away. Congregation Beth Israel’s Torah cover displays the name of Sergeant Major Rafael Elias Mosheyoff, an Israeli army reservist who was killed by a deadly blast while searching for terrorists in Gaza. Born in Columbia, Rafael emigrated to Israel as a young child; he worked as a missile developer and tutored foster children. Rafael is survived by his wife and baby boy.

Funding for CBI’s participation in the Simchat Torah Project came from a generous donation from long-time congregants Hal and Carol Shichman.

Congregation Beth Israel is an egalitarian Conservative synagogue, serving the religious, educational, cultural and social needs of congregants from Scotch Plains, Fanwood, Westfield and surrounding towns. It has an active Sisterhood, Men’s Club and youth group, plus a wide array of programs, ranging from adult education courses to social action opportunities. For more information, visit www.cbinj.org or call (908) 889-1830.

For more information on The Simchat Torah Project, visit www.TheSimchatTorahProject.org.