Congregation Chofetz Chayim and the Southwest Torah Institute will hold a “Torah for the Future” dedication on Sunday, Sept. 14 to celebrate the completion of a new Torah, the first Torah ever written expressly for the congregation and its educational and outreach division. Tucson Mayor Jonathan Rothschild will be among the honored guests.
“We are delighted that Mayor Rothschild will join us. Thirty years ago, and only five years after the founding of Congregation Chofetz Chayim, attorney Jonathan Rothschild was part of the Torah procession when we moved into our current building. We are honored to have his participation at this pivotal point in our growth,” says Rabbi Israel Becker, who has headed Congregation Chofetz Chayim since its inception in 1979.
“In conjunction with the writing of our new Torah, the ‘Torah for the Future’ campaign solidifies our plans to expand Torah learning in Southern Arizona, enlarging our staff [and] intensifying the significance and scope of our classes and outreach programs,” adds Becker.
The Torah dedication will begin at 4 p.m. with Torah scribe Rabbi Zvi Chaim Pincus from New York demonstrating how a Torah is written, followed by the Torah completion ceremony. The Torah will then be paraded through the crowd and into the sanctuary.
The celebration will include live music by Rabbi Eli Adler of Phoenix, wine and hors d’oeuvres.
For more information, call 747-7780 or visit the congregation’s website at www.tucsontorah.org.
