Rosh Chodesh Marcheshvon saw the kehilloh of
Adass Yeshurun (Manchester) celebrate a special hachnosas
sefer Torah. The idea for this sefer Torah first
came up about nine months ago at the shul's annual siyum
mishnayos and it is a credit to those involved in its
organization that their plans should have merited completion
such a short time.
The sefer Torah was written to perpetuate the memory
of two outstanding ladies, Miss Hilda Dahl and Miss Ruth
Seckbach. They were individuals who were admired and
respected by all those who had a connection with them and
indeed a number of people traveled specially to attend. Both
taught limudei kodesh for very many years and were
zoche to arichas yomim. Miss Dahl was in fact
niftar on her 100th birthday and was actually a
cheder teacher of Rabbi J. Dunner in his early
childhood.
Although neither had any family of their own, the guest
speaker, Rabbi A Katz of Gateshead, quoted Rashi at the start
of parshas Noach that the main progeny of
tzaddikim are their maasim tovim. The
gemora also tells us that one who teaches his friend's
son Torah is as though he bore him.
The procession left from the house of the shul's rov, HaRav Y
Wreschner, and proceeded up Legh Street, through Broom Lane
and along Cheltenham Crescent into the shul. The sefer
Torah was carried initially by HaRav Schneebalg and then
in turn by many of Manchester's rabbonim and members of the
shul. The formal proceedings inside the shul were led by the
previous rov, Dayan G Krausz who recited Ato Hor'aiso.
Following a joyous hakofoh it was then carried to the
Aron Hakodesh by Rabbi Wreschner and placed in its new
home by the long-serving gabbai, Mr. Michael
Goldman.
A celebratory seudas mitzvoh was held in the Machzikei
Hadass hall. The chairman, Mr. Ellis Santhouse, detailed some
of the praises of Miss Dahl and Miss Seckbach and thanked
everyone for their efforts.
Rav Wreschner echoed these sentiments and went on to quote
from letters of Rav Chaim Ozer Grodzensky about the sefer
Torah that was written to commemorate the Chofetz Chaim.
He also spoke about kedushas Bais Haknesses and the
rare atmosphere which people had reported to him that they
had felt when davening in Adass Yeshurun.
Rav M M Schneebalg talked about simchas haTorah and
the way in which this differentiates between Klal
Yisroel and the other nations. He elaborated on a Baal
HaTurim in Vayelech to stress that one should be
discernible as a 'Beis Hamedrash Yid' by the way one
behaves and speaks even when not learning. One's speech
should be Torahdike speech the entire day.
Finally Rabbi Katz spoke in his usual inimitable humorous
style. He outlined the uniqueness of certain mitzvos and
certain types of simcha as being specifically Jewish,
comparing the mitzvoh of kesivas sefer Torah with that
of bris milah. He discussed how Klal Yisroel as a
whole is bound up with the Torah and Hakodosh Boruch
Hu, but that each of us as individuals had to make a
conscious decision to be included. In this vein he urged
everyone present to be mekabel on themselves some
extra hiddur and dikduk bemitzvos. Along with
most of the speakers he concluded by expressing his wish that
when he next should return he hoped to see the shul
"modernized and expanded." These were sentiments to which
Rabbi Simcha Bamberger who says a daf yomi shiur in
the shul immediately nodded vigorously in agreement.
After bentching a rekida was led by some of the
shul's yeshiva bochurim.
