Histories of Bet Shalom's Torah Scrolls
By Laurie Levin
When Bet Shalom was established in May, 1981 the founding families adopted the phrase “A family of friends” to describe the kind of community they envisioned for the new congregation: one in which all were welcomed and encouraged to participate in congregational life in many different ways. Several families demonstrated their dedication to growing our “family” by helping with the acquisition of Torah scrolls for the congregation. Each of our five scrolls has its own unique story of family connections.
When Rabbi Cohen came to Bet Shalom as our first rabbi, he brought with him a Torah scroll that Cincinnati's congregation, K.K. Bene Israel (the “Rockdale Temple”) had gifted to him. Several families from Rockdale had connections with members of Bet Shalom, and the congregation intended this scroll to stay with Rabbi Cohen throughout his rabbinate. The Rockdale scroll is the one we use most often, enriching holiday and simcha celebrations every year while reminding us of the congregation that helped us begin our congregational life.
David Oxman outside Agudath Achim synagogue in Hibbing, Minnesota. Photo courtesy of University of Minnesota Libraries and Nathan and Theresa Berman Upper Midwest Jewish Archives.
Hibbing's Agudath Achim Synagogue, 1972. Photo courtesy of Minnesota Historical Society.
Two of our scrolls have Minnesota connections, coming to our congregation from Hibbing and Albert Lea, cities that at one time supported small but active Jewish communities. In the early 1990s when the congregation in Hibbing, Agudath Achim, was closing, members of that congregation, Bob and MaryEllen Spector, had developed ties to Bet Shalom. One of Agudath Achim's Torah scrolls had special meaning to their family as it had been brought to the United States from Russia by Bob Spector’s grandfather. The Spectors guaranteed its continued use by donating the Torah to Bet Shalom. Spector family members have read from this scroll at their b’nai mitzvah celebrations.
A small group of families in Albert Lea, Minnesota maintained a Jewish community through the 1980s. Jeff Upin’s grandfather commissioned a Torah scroll to be used by this minyan and kept the scroll at his home. The scroll was gifted for safekeeping to another Albert Lea family, the Coopers, who eventually returned it to the Upins. Jeff and Jodi Upin donated the scroll to Bet Shalom, and their sons read from it at their b’nai mitzvot. The Upins have also gifted ornaments that adorn both the donated scroll and others in our ark.
Bet Shalom’s “Chai Scroll.”
As Bet Shalom approached its 18th year a new scroll was commissioned by one of our founding families to mark the event. With support from other congregants, Yale and Diane Dolginow donated this scroll in memory of Yale’s father, David, and his mother, Dolly Dolginow Sirgany. Our “Chai scroll” is unique not only because it was written for our congregation, thus starting its history with us, but also because it is kept in a Sephardic style case, one that is highly decorated in silver. The Chai scroll is used for holidays and special occasions, and before in-person services were curtailed by COVID-19, it was the Torah from which our young people read their first Torah portions at b’nai mitzvah services. This builds its connection to the next generation of our congregational families.
Bet Shalom’s fifth scroll brings with it a dark history, reminding us of families who no longer exist. The scroll’s original home was in a congregation in Klatovy, Czechoslovakia. While the Jews of Klatovy perished in the Holocaust, their Torah was saved and preserved in Prague along with hundreds of others until the collection was eventually sold to the Westminster Synagogue in London, England. Westminster established the Memorial Scrolls Trust, a collection of 1,564 scrolls, and Bet Shalom applied to care for one of those Torahs. The Czech Torah is now on permanent loan to our congregation. It has become our sacred responsibility to care for this Shoah scroll, and it was always displayed in a case on our sanctuary's wall.
From left to right: Rockdale, Hibbing, Czech, Albert Lea Torahs
In late 2019 a bright new chapter in the life of this scroll began when Kate and Scott Shamblott offered to support the repair of the Klotovy Torah, work done in honor and memory of Kate’s parents, Tom and Rhoda Lewin. We didn’t know if the scroll could be returned to usable condition, but soferet (scribe) Alexandra Casser was able to clean and repair the scroll, and returned it to us ready to be used again. This scroll now fills a place of pride in our ark along with our other Torahs, and it is read at the b’nai mitzvah ceremonies of students who have family members who died in the Holocaust.
I sincerely thank Rabbi Cohen, Joan Charnas, Yale Dolginow, Jodi and Jeff Upin, Kate and Scott Shamblott, and Randy Feldman for sharing their memories and information for this article.
Rabbi Cohen’s book, Sacred Architecture: The Building of Bet Shalom, contains much additional information about the scrolls.
Special thanks to Kate Dietrick, Archivist from the Upper Midwest Jewish Archives for her help and information about the congregations on the Iron Range.