30TH OCTOBER 2006

On Sunday 18th June this year, Michael and Karen L., Janet L. and I left Brighton at 8 o'clock in the morning. Michael drove us in the comfort of his car along the Motorway to our destination, which was to be the Northwood and Pinner Progressive Synagogue, to attend a Czech Torah Seminar.

On our arrival we were met by Rabbi Andrew G and his wife and some members of his congregation. We were shown into the Synagogue, where the Seminar was to take place.

They were still moving tables and chairs in position for the days activities. Among the helpers was Michael H the Historian and the chief organiser of the day.

We soon found ourselves mounting our prepared picture and articles exhibition, as representatives of other Synagogues entered the hall, bearing their own Czech Scrolls. They were as keen to display their work as we were.

Finally we were seated around two long tables facing a blank wall, which soon came alive with the images of our computerised, hi-tech, slide show.

At Michael H.'s request, as many Synagogues as possible were to prepare a 20 minute presentation of the research and the work we had done so far in our quest to find the full history of our Torah and it's people.

It was our privilege to be the first of the four presenters, with Janet as a very able narrator. She told her audience how it came about that we acquired the Czech Scroll, now 29 years ago.

How in the last 2 years with renewed interest, we formed a committee and gave it the name "The Chai Committee" after the catalogue number 1278, given by the Nazis. If they had known that when adding the numbers together making 18 and translated into letters, we have the letters Chet and Yud, which make up the word Chai and translated into English, means life. This committee has since been amalgamated with the Avodat Ha Lev, the Rites and Practices Committee.

In our research we found the name of the town from where the Torah came from. In fact they were the names of twin towns, divided by the river Ostravice. The names Frydek Mistek can be located in the region of Moravia.

Before the Nazi occupation, the two towns shared one beautiful Synagogue, with a congregation of 430 people. By 1942 most had either emigrated or moved to another part of the country. We know that the remainder of 162 Jews were transported to Concentration Camps all over Europe, where they met with their death, through starvation, Gas Chambers or just murdered. We know this, because we have their names. The Synagogue was destroyed by the Nazis in 1939 and today there are no Jews living in Frydek Mistek any longer.

We were able to show our audience, that in the last two years, we conducted a Memorial Service, accompanied by an extensive major picture and articles exhibition. We invited Michael H himself and also Katia G., Britta L and Heinz V. The three survivors of the two towns.

We were able to tell our audience, that to involve the children of our congregation in that Memorial Service, Steve F. went up to the Class rooms prior to the Service and during their Cheder, to explain the importance of this Service. It was left to myself to deliver the Sermon. To describe to our audience , how in our research, we were able to discover the sufferings of our people in Czechoslovakia, before the war and during it. How over 1,500 Scrolls, most of them beyond repair, arrived at the Synagogue in the West End of London, from a converted Warehouse in Prague, a building that was once a Synagogue and finally, how we applied for Guardianship and received our Torah now 29 years ago. The sermon concluded with the playing by David W of a Piano solo arrangement of the second movement of the New World Symphony by the Czech composer Anton Dvorak, during which the children of our congregation made their entrance into this Sanctuary. We told our audience at the Northwood & Pinner Synagogue, that during her Torah reading Rabbi Sarah called up 9 members of this congregation who made Alliyah and named many of the names of those that lost their lives during the Holocaust from that Jewish community of Frydek Mistek.Thus, beginning a cycle for the rest of the names to be called out at a later date, when the Torah will be taken from the Ark on other occasions. After we saw the other 3 presentations, we listened to a very interesting talk given by a Scribe, who talked about his work as one who writes on Scrolls, Teffilin, Mezuzoth and other sacred articles.

The days proceedings concluded with a short Service led by Rabbi Andrew G, in front of the open Ark. Michael L. and a representative of each of the other Synagogues bearing their Czech Scrolls.

What of the future? Next year we will be celebrating the 30th anniversary when receiving this Torah into our Synagogue and we will of course again remember those that died during the Holocaust at this time in 1943. And I can tell you one thing that is going to happen. At the moment there is a new white mantle in the making , for next years High Holy days, it will be specially embroidered by Anneloes t H. That is a job, which, as you can imagine, will take more than 5 minutes.

What of the present? To give our Torah its absolute full identity, I applied to the Czech Torah trust for a certificate of recognition and I have it here for all to see.

And now on this Shabbat Shuvah, the Sabbath of "Return" as we prepare ourselves for the day of Awe, and ask for forgiveness, let us pause for a moment as we remember the 162 martyrs from the two towns of Frydek Mistek and we give thanks for the inheritance of their Torah.

Hans L.

P.S. The moment of silence was broken with the Te Kia Gedola blown on the Shofar, blown by Sarah F.

P.P.S. The certificate can now be seen hanging in a frame on the wall in the Synagogues Library