Hachnasat Sefer Torah 2023
We learn from chassidus that one of the greatest accomplishments we as Jews can bring to this world, is to create a home for G-d on this material plane and elevate the material to the spiritual.
The writing of a new Sefer Torah
represents one of the greatest boosts of pure holiness in this world. We are extremely
excited to announce before the Mayanot World Center is officially opened that we
have been gifted a brand-new Sefer Torah, written with the intention of the
current and future students of Mayanot in mind who will be utilizing it in
Jerusalem. These students will be learning, experiencing Shabbat and hearing
the words of the Torah read aloud in the new Mayanot World Center for thousands
of Jewish students to come.
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A big thank you to the family of Libby Pattashnick who were represented at the Hachnosas Sefer Torah by the Lisbon's from Baltimore, the Geisinsky’s from Brooklyn, the Schachter’s from New Jersey/Jerusalem, the Kastel's from Rechovot, and the Sugarman's from Jerusalem for their precious gift of a new Sefer Torah to the Mayanot Institute of Jewish Studies. This beautiful Sefer Torah will be housed in the new Mayanot World Center in Jerusalem.
Sunday February 5th, 2023 began with a tour of the new home of the Sefer Torah both with the families and current students, followed by a gathering where many were able to write a letter in the Sefer Torah as it was being finished. As well as a wonderful procession to the Mayanot Yeshiva where joyous hakafot took place. Afterwards a marvelous seudat mitzvah with the families of Libby Bas R'Dovid Pattashnick OBM, where several family members and Mayanot alumni spoke.
At the beautiful seudat mitzvah Rabbi Elchonon Lisbon of Chabad of Baltimore shared, “I want to thank Rabbi Shemtov and Gestetner for letting us bring the life of Libby….Talk about energy, talk about excitement, talk about simcha, talk about hishkasrut, talk about being in Jerusalem, talk about encouraging young men and women around the world to come to Yerushalayim to be part of Eretz Yisroel and have a connection to a Rebbe, what organization does that more then Mayanot.”
Executive Director of Mayanot, Rabbi
Kasriel Shemtov, told the family, "Thank G-d
you chose Mayanot and I can give you my guarantee that this will come to good
use. I don’t know another place where so many individuals will have their bar
mitzvah, will have their first aliyot and will be introduced to a Sefer Torah
or have their names given at a Sefer Torah like at Mayanot. And we truly
appreciate it…and I am sure it will bring a huge aliyat neshama to Libby"
It
was a truly wonderful event filled with simcha and kedusha in the zechut and
loving memory of Libby. Her family shared many stories of how she loved coming
to Israel, how she loved education and bringing Jews closer to their
connection to Judaism. There is no better way to honor her memory then
this beautiful new Sefer Torah, as an ever-lasting legacy.
Mrs. Devora Schachter from NJ/ Jerusalem shared, “Tanta Libby would have been in 7th heaven ….Thank you so much for providing so much kavod to her neshama, she is for sure talking about it in heaven”.
Rabbi Mordechai Kastel of Chabad of Rechovot shared in Hebrew, “Everyone that came didn’t realize how truly special this event would be, Kol Hakavod to all that contributed and were involved, well done and l’chaim!”
Dov Hanna, a Mayanot Alumni stood up and said, "We have something special here, we have teachers that are passionate about what they teach, we have an amazing student body that has accepted me and has allowed me to ask questions I feel like I would have been uncomfortable to ask before.... I would like to say l'chaim to the amazing teachers at Mayanot for inspiring me in a way I never thought I could be inspired before.”
Thank you to all the students,
community members and friends that came out to celebrate this momentous
occasion for Mayanot, to remember Libby and to honor the new Sefer Torah.
