The first shipment of 1,000 torah scrolls out of a total of 2,500 that the Rumanian Government are allowing to be shipped to Israel, is expected here this weekend and will be immediately distributed to Israel’s synagogues, according to an announcement today by Dr. Zerah Warhaftig, Israel’s Minister for Religious Affairs.
At a press conference here Dr. Warhaftig said today that special attention would be given to ensure that the scrolls were distributed to congregations consisting of immigrants from Rumania. The scrolls were rescued after the Second World War and permission for them to be given as gifts to Israel was secured from the Bucharest Government by Dr. Moses Rosen, chief rabbi of Rumania.
Dr. Warhaftig returned yesterday from Vienna where he conferred with Dr. Rosen and Charles Jordan, executive vice-chairman of the Joint Distribution Committee, on the assignment of the first shipment. At today’s press conference, Dr. Warhaftig said that the second delivery of 1,500 scrolls is expected within a few weeks.
He reported that the Rumanian Government had rejected lucrative offers from Jewish book dealers in favor of giving the scrolls and Jewish religious books to Israel. According to the Israel Minister, the Rumanian officials told the merchants: “We are unprepared to trade with holy books. ” Dr. Rosen, together with other Jewish authorities, is now collecting additional scrolls and books in Rumania for eventual shipment to Israel.
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