In the Far East of Russia, 75 km from the Chinese border, is located Yerovizhan - the Jewish autonomy established about 90 years ago by the Soviet government, when the dictator Stalin conceived, as a not particularly successful idea, to settle all the Jews of his empire there.
This remote region of Russia is located east of Siberia, about 7000 km from Moscow.
Despite being a 'Jewish autonomy' during the Soviet era, the tens of thousands of Jews who immigrated to the autonomy were forbidden from leading an open Jewish life there. However, since the arrival of the Lubavitcher Rebbe's emissaries, the city has experienced a constantly developing Jewish boom.
But they didn't have their own Torah scroll until this week.
About a year and a half ago, at the annual "Shabbat Akhdut" of the entire rabbinical community and emissaries of Russia, who gathered under the leadership of the Chief Rabbi of Russia, Rabbi Berel Lazar, in the city of Kaliningrad - a Russian enclave in Europe, hosted by the emissary in the city, Rabbi Avraham Baruch Deutsch, the rabbi of Krasnoyarsk, Rabbi Benjamin HaCohen Wagner, took it upon himself to help obtain a Torah scroll for the community in the city of Birobidzhan, after the city rabbi learned that they still did not own a Torah scroll - and they were reading a Torah scroll they had borrowed from the central synagogue "Marina Roshcha" in Moscow.
And indeed, in the midst of the Month of Mercy and Forgiveness, a historic event was held in the city to complete the writing of the letters and introduce a new and magnificent Torah scroll, in a large procession throughout the city - where signs can still be found in Yiddish - the official language of the district.
The procession continued to the synagogue building, which serves the city's Jews.
At the beginning of the ceremony, a blessing was read from the Chief Rabbi of Russia, who has visited the region several times. The letter was sent to Birobidzhan by Rabbi Ephraim Kolpak, a native of Kharkov and a student at educational institutions in Moscow, who, since coming to the region with his family, has promoted the activities of the local Jewish community.
The president of the Union of Communities in Russia, Rabbi Alexander Barda, also sent his blessing; and the event was attended by many guests, including the father-in-law of the city rabbi, Rabbi Yaakov Santkov, the rabbi of Khabarovsk, located about 250 kilometers away. Also present were the rabbi of Irkutsk in Siberia, Rabbi Aharon HaCohen Wagner; the rabbi of Vladivostok, Rabbi Israel Wilhelm; and the rabbi of Krasnoyarsk, Rabbi Binyamin HaCohen Wagner, who came with a special delegation headed by Torah donor Jan Yankovitz.
A distinguished government delegation came to honor the event, led by the district governor, who expressed to the numerous media outlets that covered the event the support and blessing of the entire government, out of appreciation for the activities of the city rabbi and all members of the Jewish community, who preserve history and work hard among Jewish youth throughout the district.
The city's rabbi, Rabbi Ephraim Kolpak, thanked Rabbi Wagner, his donor and family, and the Scheiner family on behalf of the entire community for designing the prestigious cover for the Torah - after they operated in the city about a decade and a half ago, and the fruits of their blessed activity are still evident today.
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