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Jacksonville Jewish Group Invites Public To Attend Torah Dedication Sunday

J. Nathan Matias via Flickr

A Jewish center on Jacksonville’s Southside is getting a brand-new Torah this weekend.

The public is invited to the Chabad of Southside to help celebrate “one of the happiest occasions in Jewish life.” 

That’s according to Rabbi Levi Vogel. He says the religious text is written by hand on a scroll, and it takes an expert scribe a year to complete.

Vogel will be helping community members write the final letters of the Torah on Sunday, “to make sure that they don’t mess it up and do it correctly.” If even one dot of ink is out of place, the entire Torah is considered invalid. Vogel says the scribe has made outlines for people to fill in to help avoid errors.

The Torah dedication is at 4 p.m. Sunday at the Chabad of Southside on Alumni Way. All are invited to attend.  A reception and kids’ activities will follow.

Photo "Torah 6" by J. Nathan Matias used under Creative Commons license

Jessica Palombo supervises local news gathering and production, podcasts and web editorial content for WJCT News, ADAPT and Jacksonville Today. She is an award-winning writer and journalist with bylines including NPR, Experience Magazine, and The Gainesville Sun. She has a master’s degree in broadcast and digital journalism from Syracuse University and is an alumna of the University of Florida. A nearly lifelong resident of Jacksonville, she considers herself lucky to be raising her own children in her hometown. Follow Jessica Palombo on Twitter: @JaxJessicaP