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Nadine Wimmer reporting During the Holocaust, Hitler tried to destroy everything Jewish. But some sacred artifacts survived. One such item, a Torah scroll, somehow ended up in a Utah antiques shop destined for destruction. That is until one Utah rabbi stepped in.
It was a celebration unlike any Utah's Jewish community has seen. "It is a miracle. This is really a miracle that we have the privilege of witnessing with our own eyes," said Rabbi Benny Zippel, of Chabad Lubavitch of Utah.
It's the rededication of a Torah scroll, the fundamental teachings of Judaism.
Each scroll contains the five books of Moses: Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy. Rabbi Zippel found this one in a collector's shop in Provo. It survived the Holocaust and somehow made its way to Utah, where it was nearly lost.
"It had been cut up in pieces, and so it had to be restored, corrected. The letters had to be fixed. Some parts were missing, and the parts that were missing were rewritten from scratch," Rabbi Zippel said.
Former Utah real estate developer John Price, and his family's foundation, funded the scroll's restoration. A skilled Jewish scribe in Israel carefully rewrote each letter. If even one is scratched or damaged, the entire scroll is invalidated.
Some participants in last night's ceremony paid to help write the final letters on the scroll. Though no one knows exactly how the Torah made its way to Utah, Rabbi Zippel believes it was the work of God. "This Torah scroll obviously had, for one reason or another, to find its way into our sanctuary, and God, by means of divine personal providence, made it happen," he said.
The newly restored Torah scroll will be used during future services, particularly during holiday celebrations.
