The Torah Scroll of the Ellis Island Chapel, used by generations of Jewish immigrants, was presented today by United Hias Service to the International Synagogue at Kennedy Airport. Murray I. Gurfein, president of the worldwide Jewish migration agency, turned over the Torah in a ceremony that recalled the successive waves of Jewish immigration since the founding of Hias 83 years ago.
“Three million Jewish men, women and children have been assisted by United Hias to resettle in free countries, ” Mr. Gurfein said. “For many of these people the sight of this Scroll was convincing evidence that they had at last found a place where they could practice their religion openly and fearlessly. We are pleased that at Kennedy Airport, which has replaced Ellis Island as the principal port of entry for immigrants, the Torah will continue to serve new arrivals of Jewish faith.”
JTA has documented Jewish history in real-time for over a century. Keep our journalism strong by joining us in supporting independent, award-winning reporting.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
