Megillat Lostice - A Scroll of Resilience

Megillat Loštice: A Scroll of Resilience

“Now go… inscribe it on a scroll, that it may serve in the time to come as a witness forever.” – Isaiah 30:8

A symbol of the unbreakable, indestructible spirit of the Jewish people exists inside the Sanctuary Ark at Congregation Ohev Shalom in Wallingford, PA. They are the keepers of one of the 1,500 Czech Torah Scrolls that were rescued from Nazi destruction during the Holocaust. Ohev Shalom's 200-year old scroll, from the Moravian town of Loštice, survived a miraculous set of circumstances to eventually find a new home in Wallingford, PA.

The Jewish Tradition urges us to study, internalize, and teach our history… and above all to learn from it. Ohev Shalom once again collaborated with the renowned artist Siona Benjamin to craft a four-chapter, hand-written, beautifully illuminated scroll to tell the story of how the Loštice Torah came to the congregation. It is a modern-day Megillah that enshrines the tale of this unfathomable journey, and which is read annually at the congregation's Loštice Shabbat celebration.

Not only does Megillat Loštice teach about a lost Jewish community and the vibrant world surrounding it, but also inspires us today to think about our own need for resilience, perseverance, and overcoming obstacles. Though it also commemorates loss and destruction, the Megillah is ultimately a tale of hope, survival, and life, that will indeed serve as a witness for the Jewish People forever.