Czech Memorial Scrolls

TBI is the proud custodian of 3 of over 1500 scrolls that survived the Shoah after being housed in the Jewish Quarter of the Czech capital. While we are one of very few communities responsible for 3 scrolls, we form part of an important network of over 1000 scroll-holders, after they were brought to London in 1964 and subsequently spread around the world.

Two of TBI’s scrolls are in good condition and are able to be used as they were intended – they are read from on occasion during services. One of the scrolls is quite damaged and we do not use this, but rather have this on display.

Our scrolls are on permanent loan from the Memorial Scrolls Trust in London – you can find out more about them here: www.memorialscrollstrust.org

History

In the latter years of WWII, the Nazis gathered together what remained of the religious heritage of the deported Jews of Central Europe, including 1564 torahs, and stored these items in the basement of The Michle Synagogue in Prague.

The items were intended to be used in a museum to mock Jewish traditions and beliefs, but when the war ended, these ancient scrolls of the first five books of the bible were instead found in a warehouse and saved. They were transported to London in 1964 and, from there, were distributed to caretakers around the world.

Scroll MST#71

Both this scroll and #1362 are in good condition and are able to be used during services.

It was originally from Jicin.

Scroll MST#1362

Originally from Sedlcany, it came to TBI in March 1985.

Scroll MST#1207

This scroll arrived to TBI extremely damaged as it had been deliberately torn and flung into a damp corner. By tradition it would have been buried, but we keep it, together with a torn fragment of a prayer shawl, as mute witnesses of the Holocaust.

Originally from Malvazinky in Praha (Prague). It came to TBI in November 1980 and was written in 1890.