Sefer Torah Campaign

Some thirty years ago Solihull Shul became the proud owners of three used Torah Scrolls. These scrolls were repaired and have stood the Shul in good stead over the years. They are now over 100 years old and the ink is beginning to fade and crack. I have been working hard to repair them as necessary, however they are rapidly reaching a stage where they will be beyond repair. We currently have the use of two Torah Scrolls that are on loan to us, however this is not a long term solution.

>We are commissioning a scribe to write a new Sefer Torah for Solihull Shul. We hope to complete the writing by early 2008 and will be holding a Hachnasas Sefer Torah, a dedication ceremony some time in the Autumn of 2008. Further information will be publicised closer to the time.

The last of the 613 mitzvot of the Torah is the commandment to write a Torah Scroll. A Torah Scroll contains 304,805 letters. In order for the scroll to be kosher each letter needs to be written correctly. A fault with one letter invalidates the entire scroll. According to Jewish Law, a person who completes even one letter of the Torah is regarded as if he wrote the entire Torah.

We ask you to participate in the age-old custom of honouring yourself, a family member or a friend by inscribing and owning a portion of our Community Sefer Torah. This is also a fitting way to honour the memory of a beloved grandparent, parent or other relative.

Every time we read from the Torah you will share in the mitzvah whether you are physically present or not.

The Solihull Community is a small one and it is beyond our ability to complete this project without the help of our many friends and supporters in the wider Jewish Community. Details of dedication opportunities can be found in the enclosed leaflet.

Thank you for your support.


Rabbi Yehuda Pink

To download a donation form, click here:
Sefer Torah Donation.pdf

Donations may be sent by post to the address on the form or by Credit Card by visiting our donation page.

Sefer Torah Update - May 2007

I have just returned from Israel where I met with a number of Scribes and have commissioned one to write our Communal Sefer Torah.

The Scribe is called Rabbi Yossef Pinkovitch (no relation!), I have known him personally for the past twenty years. A contract has been drawn up detailing the Scribes responsibilities.

Or Sefer Torah will take approximately one year to write and will be ready just before Shavuot next year. (June 2008). Rabbi Pinkovitch will personally bring the completed Sefer Torah from Israel and the last few letters will be completed at the dedication ceremony in Solihull.

As the Sefer Torah is being written the Scribe will bear in mind that he is writing it in the merit of all those people who have contributed to the Sefer Torah Campaign.

The response to the Sefer Torah Campaign has been extremely positive and the vast majority of pledges have already been redeemed. If you have made a pledge and not yet sent in your donation please do so as soon as possible.

There are still quite a few members of the community that have not yet contributed to the Sefer Torah Fund. I will be contacting all these people over the next few weeks to encourage them to participate in this unique milestone in our community¹s history.

If you would like any more information about dedication opportunities please contact me by phone, letter or email and I will be delighted to be of assistance.

Sefer Torah Update - March 2007

In the two weeks since we launched the appeal we have had a good response and almost £15,000 has been raised so far. There is still a long way to go, if you have not yet returned your form please do so as soon as possible. 33p a day is all it costs to join the Chai Club and gain an eternal share in this tremendous mitzvah.

A scribe was recently invited to inspect our current Torah Scrolls and unfortunately he reported that the Scrolls that were possul are beyond repair. We currently have two scrolls on loan, one of which we need to return shortly and the other which we use on a weekly basis. The Kosher Torah Scroll that we own is over one hundred years and in poor condition. It is suitable for use on a occasional basis such as for Maftir on a Yom Tov, but not on a regular basis.

I have received a number of queries relating to the fund which I will try to answer below.

Q. Do I need to use the standing order form that was sent out?
A. No, you may use your own form or set up a payment using Internet Banking. You may vary the amount to pay or the number of instalments.

Q. Is this project only for adults?
A. No, children and teenagers are welcome to participate, indeed we would like to encourage as many youngsters as possible to participate, small children can buy a letter for as little as £1.00. Teenagers can also participate, they can set up a regular payment or organise activities individually or with a group of friends to raise money.

Q. Do I need to return the Gift Aid form if I have already given a declaration to the Shul?
A. There is no legal requirement, but it allows the administrator of the Fund to know exactly which donations are Gift Aided and therefore calculate the amount raised.

Q. Is the Sefer Torah Fund being held together with the other Shul funds?
A. The Sefer Torah Fund is being administered seperately from the main Shul funds, a new Bank Account has been set up to ensure that the money is only used for the Sefer Torah.

Q. How do I reserve a specific aliyah or sedra?
A. Mark on the form that details the various dedication opportunities, (for most of you it is a yellow card) the specific portion you wish to dedicate and return the form to us.

Q. Can all donations be Gift Aided?
A. There is no minimum amount for Gift Aid, the only requirement is that your taxable income is equal or greater than the amount that you wish to Gift Aid. All forms of payment, cheque, cash or standing order qualify. The only form of payment that does not qualify for Gift Aid is payment made using a charity voucher such as CAF, KKL etc

Q. I've lost the letter that was sent to me, what should I do.
A. Contact Rabbi Pink and he will be delighted to send you another letter.

Q. When will the Sefer Torah be completed.
A, The Scribe will start writing the Sefer Torah shortly after Pesach, it will take about ten months to write. We will be holding a dedication ceremony in Summer 2008. Details will publicised closer to the time.

If you have any other queries please feel free to contact me by phone, email, letter or in person. Thank you for participating in this unique communal project.