THE SPIRITUAL JOURNEY AND RESTORATION OF OUR RUSSIAN TORAH SCROLL By Cantor Roy B. Einhorn In the Soviet Union in the 1970s there were no Jewish schools, no access to the synagogues in the main cities, no open celebrations of Jewish holidays, and no way to purchase kosher wine or matzah. Given this hostile landscape, it is astounding that Misha Feinberg found his way, through underground sources, to a man who sold Jewish artifacts from his apartment. Amon the items in the man’s illicit inventory was a small Torah scroll from some time in the mid-1800s. Apparently the seller wasn’t aware of the spiritual value of the scroll, but he knew someone would be willing to pay for it. Who knows what would have happened to this Torah without Misha’s clandestine visit.
a diplomatic pouch, which was not subject to customs inspection. With the hope that one day the family and the scroll would be reunited, the Feinbergs separated the parchment from the Torah rollers in order to fit it in the pouch, in that way the parchment was brought into the United States.
Soon after the Congressman’s visit, the Feinbergs were granted permission to emigrate. The family of four could only take six suitcases and $500 with them. But what to do with the Torah rollers? Ena put them in her suitcase and hoped for the best. The customs official at the airport found them and demanded to know what they were. Ena claimed that she loved baking, and these were her In 1979, the rolling pins. When asked Feinbergs applied why she had two, she Cantor Einhorn and Andrew Feinberg, inking in the final letters for a visa to mumbled, “I bake a lot.” and completing the project with the scribe, Rabbi Moshe Druin. emigrate to the Satisfied, the customs United States. But, like all the other Jews who did the official allowed her to leave the Soviet Union with the same, they were refused permission to leave and their Torah rollers in her suitcase. status changed from ordinary citizens to “Refuseniks.” The Feinbergs, like others who were denied permission to The Feinbergs settled in Boston and became members of leave, lost their jobs and, in order to provide food for their Temple Israel. For several years, their son Andrew worked families, were forced to work in positions that were below at the Temple’s financial office under the direction of then their abilities. Executive Director Leon Rothenberg (z'l). In 1995, the Feinbergs donated the Torah to our synagogue. Eight years into their internal exile, the plight of the Feinberg family caught the attention of a non-Jewish Until 2019, the precious Russian Torah was used sparingly Republican Congressman from Texas. The Congressman because many of the letters were cracked, making it traveled to Moscow in 1987 and brought everything that extremely difficult to read. Last year, with a very generous was necessary for the Feinbergs to conduct a Passover gift from the Feinberg family, the scroll was completely seder in their apartment. During his visit, Misha and restored and declared Kosher. Our Russian Torah scroll his wife, Ena, showed their secret Torah scroll to the is now an active part of our Torah family. We thank the Congressman. Understanding the importance of the scroll, Feinberg family for this incredible gift which will now be the Congressman offered to take it back to the U.S. in used for generations to come.
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