First Sefer Torah Dedicated In Russia’s Jewish Autonomy Region

In Birobidzhan, a city in Russia’s Far East near the borders with China and Japan, the local Jewish community has celebrated a milestone on Sunday: receiving its first Sefer Torah. The event drew government officials, rabbis from across Siberia, and greetings from Russia’s Chief Rabbi, Harav Berel Lazar.

Birobidzhan was founded nearly ninety years ago when Stalin sought to establish a “Jewish autonomy” in this remote corner of Russia. Situated east of Siberia, roughly 7,000 kilometers from Moscow, the region borders Alaska to the north and Japan, China, and Korea to the south. Despite its vast size, it remains sparsely populated.

Although tens of thousands of Jews were sent to the region, Jewish life was suppressed under Soviet rule. After the fall of the Soviet Union, rabbanim had begun revitalizing the city. Until now, however, the city had never had its own Torah scroll and relied on one borrowed from Moscow.

The effort to bring a Torah scroll began a year and a half ago during the annual “Shabbos Achdus” of Russian Chabad Shluchim in Kaliningrad, led by Chief Rabbi Berel Lazar Shlita. There, Rabbi Binyamin HaCohen Wagner of Krasnoyarsk heard from the Shliach of Birobidzhan that the community was still without a scroll. Rabbi Wagner immediately pledged to help secure one.

This past week, the long-awaited day arrived. In the days of Rachamim and Selichos, the community held a historic dedication, completing the writing of the final letters and parading the new Torah through the streets of Birobidzhan. Yiddish signs, still present throughout the city, lined the procession route, which ended at the local synagogue.

The ceremony opened with greetings from Chief Rabbi Lazar, delivered through Rabbi Ephraim Kolpak, the city’s rabbi. Rabbi Kolpak, originally from Kharkov, has worked with his family to strengthen Jewish life in the region in remarkable ways.

Additional greetings were sent by Rabbi Alexander Boroda, President of the Federation of Jewish Communities of Russia. Among those attending were Rabbi Kolpak’s father-in-law, Rabbi Yaakov Snetkov of Khabarovsk; Rabbi Aharon HaCohen Wagner of Irkutsk; Rabbi Yisrael Wilhelm of Vladivostok; Rabbi Binyamin HaCohen Wagner of Krasnoyarsk; the Torah’s donor Mr. Jan Yankovich; Rabbi Shlomo Ne’eman, and others.

Local officials also took part, led by the district governor, who praised the community’s efforts to preserve Jewish identity and educate the next generation. He publicly offered the government’s blessing and appreciation during interviews with regional media.

In his address, Rabbi Kolpak expressed gratitude on behalf of the community to Rabbi Wagner, Mr. Yankovich and his family, and the Scheiner family for crafting the Torah’s ornate mantel. He highlighted the enduring fruits of shlichus work in Birobidzhan over the past fifteen years, which continue to strengthen the city’s Jewish life.

Photos: L. Chormalino