Torah books damaged and desecrated by the Nazis in Hungary during World War II were brought to Jerusalem for burial Thursday, in accordance with Jewish custom.
The remains were carried in pottery jars by members of the chevra kadisha, the burial society, to the place of interment on the Mount of Olives.
The books were shipped to Israel by the Menora organization and the Religious Affairs Ministry. Zvi Fixler, president of the Orthodox Jewish community in Budapest, apologized for the condition of the books, which were all that could be saved.
But, he added, “Torah has returned home, for out of Zion shall go forth the law, and now it has returned.”
Moshe Moskovits, chairman of Menora, said negotiations were going on with other East European countries to bring Torah books to Israel.
The Jewish communities in those countries are small and the Torahs can be spared. In Israel, they would be distributed to synagogues in new settlements, Moskovits said.
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