Memorial Scrolls Trust (MST) Torah Scrolls
In the aftermath of the Holocaust, Torah scrolls from destroyed Jewish communities in Bohemia and Moravia were preserved and entrusted to the care of the Memorial Scrolls Trust (MST). Today, they are placed on loan with Jewish communities around the world so that they may remember and honor the communities from which they came.
Our congregation is privileged to care for two of these scrolls, helping ensure that the history, traditions, and flourishing Jewish life of these communities are never forgotten. Scroll down to read more about the Torah scrolls and the communities they represent.
Remembering the Libochovice Jewish Community
Libochovice, in northern Bohemia, was home to a Jewish community from at least the 15th century. The first documented cemetery dates to 1583. By 1654, just 12 Jews lived in the town, but the community grew steadily. By the mid-1800s, Jewish families made up nearly one-fifth of the population and had established a thriving Orthodox community with a synagogue, school, cemetery, and active communal institutions.
After a fire destroyed the original synagogue in 1809, a new synagogue was built in 1835. It housed beautifully crafted ritual objects and several Torah scrolls, including one renowned for its exceptional beauty. Like so many Jewish communities in Bohemia and Moravia, Libochovice was destroyed during the Holocaust. Those who were unable to escape were deported to concentration and extermination camps, and by 1940 the community had ceased to exist.
Today, the Libochovice Torah scroll is a living memorial to that lost community and the generations of Jewish life that once flourished there.
Remembering the Kromericz Jewish Community
The Jewish community of Kromericz, in Moravia, was one of the oldest in Europe, with Jews first permitted to settle there in 1322. Over the centuries, the community grew to include a synagogue, cemetery, and thriving Jewish institutions. By the early 20th century, several hundred Jews lived in Kromericz, sustaining a vibrant religious and communal life.
Following the Nazi occupation of Czechoslovakia, the Jews of Kromericz were deported in 1942, and the community was destroyed. The synagogue was demolished, but its Torah scrolls and other sacred objects were confiscated and sent to Prague for the Nazis' planned "Museum of an Extinct Race." After the war, the surviving scrolls were rescued by the Memorial Scrolls Trust and distributed to Jewish communities around the world.
Today, the Kromericz Torah scroll serves as a living memorial to the generations of Jewish life that flourished there and to the community lost in the Holocaust. Through the Memorial Scrolls Trust, its legacy continues to be preserved for future generations.
