On Tuesday, September 21, 2010, following an order by the Supreme Court of New York County, the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee (JDC) received two of 10 Torahs that came into the possession of the New York District Attorney’s office in the course of law enforcement activities. The Torah handover ceremony took place at the Museum of Jewish Heritage in Manhattan.

The Jewish Community Relations Council, responsible for distributing the Torahs, determined JDC receive the scrolls to be donated to communities in Europe. JDC will send the scrolls to Bulgaria and Serbia for use in synagogues in Sofia and Belgrade in time for Simchat Torah. JDC is donating the Torahs in honor of New York’s Morgenthau family’s historic dedication to the organization. The scrolls will help replace Torahs stolen from the Sofia Synagogue 10 years ago. In Belgrade, this will be the first kosher scroll in use after the dissolution of the former Yugoslavia (when Jewish community assets were divided).

image – l-r: Ken Witover, JDC Board Member; Former District Attorney Robert Morgenthau; Alan Jaffe, President, Jewish Community Relations Council of New York / JDC Treasurer.