1938The Torah Scroll

The Torah scroll contains the first five books of the Bible (the Books of Moses) in Hebrew script and represents the holiest and most important text in Judaism. It is handwritten exclusively by specially trained scribes. The material for the Torah scroll consists of handmade parchment from kosher animals, which is wound onto two wooden staves. It is often additionally protected by a fabric mantle.

Beneath the crown, the mantle bears the inscriptions “Long live the King” and “It is from all who donated toward this. 1905.”

A cover serves as a resting pad for the reading desk, as the Torah scroll must not be placed directly onto the desk. The cover features the inscription in Hebrew: “This is the table that is before God.” The grapes are a symbol of fertility.

Torah scrolls typically feature handles with attached wooden discs on which the donors are noted. In the case of this scroll, unfortunately, those records or discs have not been preserved.

Since the Torah scroll must not be touched with bare hands, readers use a small silver pointer as a reading aid.

In 1939, the museum received 15 embroidered covers and 4 velvet-covered Torah scrolls as a permanent loan from the tax office in Alsfeld. Whether these objects originally came from the synagogue in Alsfeld or from one of the numerous synagogues in the Alsfeld district is unfortunately not evident from the correspondence. A large portion of these objects is no longer in the museum today, having been transferred to the exile community in Haifa in 1954.