Louisville Magazine is Louisville's city magazine, covering Louisville people, lifestyles, politics, sports, restaurants, entertainment and homes. Includes a monthly calendar of events.
Issue link: https://loumag.epubxp.com/i/105989
ActorsTheatre.org ActorTheatre.org/TheBalcony 26 LOUISVILLE MAGAZINE 2.13 says it became "a lonely Torah in the ark, not Shel Bassel, a trained sofer who has repaired being used." 100 Torahs and written 30. Bassel took the ToTe rabbi, however, kept up hope that it rah to Dayton, Ohio, where he was born, and could be repaired. Even more, he thought it where he has a workspace. "I carry out Torah deserved to be repaired. For starters, it held repairs as close as possible to their homes," he historic value as a document from the 19th says. century. And its lettering is beautiful, Slosberg Before work commenced, Bassel sounded the says, written in Hebrew, of course, but lovingly proper spiritual note. "Traditionally a scribe rendered in the German style. David Lipp, AJ's cantor, or musical leader, says the Torah is striking in other ways, too. "It's very tall, but not very heavy," he says. "Its columns are not at all standard width, but they vary interestingly." Plus, there is the chance that it may indeed have survived the Holocaust. "Tis is a response to the Nazis," Lipp says. "Tey destroyed communities of Jews, but Judaism lives on. Someone put their love into this Torah, and if it can't be used, a part of that community that used it died." Torahs are scrolls written in Hebrew, created in much the same way for 2,000 years. Te stories contained in it are likely familiar to anyone with an interest in Western religion: Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy. Despite Slosberg's desire to mend the Holocaust Torah, funds proved elusive for the longest time. A colorful Torah cover protects the oversized artifact, thought to But a major renovation of have survived the Holocaust, from dust and high humidity. the AJ led to the construction of a new ark — or holding place for the synagogue's Torahs — and will say a small prayer before beginning the Slosberg chose the Holocaust Torah for a spot work to ask for divine guidance," he says. "Also, within. At this point, a year ago, several anonya scribe must vocally declare at the outset . . . mous donors volunteered to pay for the Holothat all the work he is doing is done with the caust Torah's repairs. intent of being for the sake of the holiness of With money in hand, the congregation the Torah." needed to hire a scribe willing to take on the After that he unrolled the artifact's scrolls, task. Two turned down the job. Last summer, which totaled 100 feet. He photographed the Slosberg fnally connected with Jerusalem-based unrolled scrolls, and used those images to spot