The Saga of the Scrolls: A Story of Hope

Reb. Yosef Levkovich, a Holocaust survivor, holding the disappeared Torah. Photo Credit: Yosef Lynn

Hope, Applied

Any student, or practitioner, of Positive Psychology has studied the works of Positive Psychology pioneer Charles R. Snyder, the founder of Hope Theory. Hope Theory suggests that hope is a cognitive skill that helps a person work towards and achieve a goal, and to overcome obstacles, challenges, and adversity that may get in the way of achieving that goal. While studying the theory in the classroom or applying it in the clinic is valuable, experiencing its power in “real life” is one of the contributions that Positive Psychology seeks to make to the world. My story below is one such experience.

RADOM, POLAND

One of the most meaningful parts of my life is my immersion in Holocaust education in Poland, which includes leading groups of students of all backgrounds on trips to Eastern Europe and to the sites where, just eight decades ago, humankind’s cruelest and most unfathomable atrocities against humanity were committed. My pedagogical agenda, however, is not merely to educate about the past, but also to educate about the future. I seek, and I want the students to seek, to understand how the lessons of history can positively impact the future.

Without fail, the highlight of every trip is always the part I didn’t plan. Many experiences happen off the beaten path that often kindle strong emotions, and induce life-changing decisions, in the participants. These experiences bring the history of the Holocaust to life, transporting us to a different time in the same place.

A Polish guide with whom we work, named Lukaz, lives in Krakow. He is very friendly with me and fond of the programs we run. In December of 2018 he received information that a Polish resident in the city of Radom was selling two Torah scrolls. Without hesitation he contacted me. He knew that I was always on the lookout for historical artifacts from bygone Jewish Poland.

My earliest opportunity to see the Torah scrolls came the following winter, when I was back in Poland leading another trip. I spent the morning at the former Chelmno killing camp, one of the primary locations of mass murder during the Holocaust, and in the afternoon I set off for Radom, a four-hour drive, to finally get a look at the homeless holy items. After winding through the backstreets of the city, we finally found the apartment building of the seller. I was, understandably, quite nervous as we pressed the buzzer of the building. Would this turn out to be a scam – or worse?

Upon entering the apartment, I was greeted by two rather portly Polish men. The furnishings and interior design of the apartment took me back in time certainly to the middle of the last century, and probably even farther back. The apartment clearly was not the natural home for two Torah scrolls, as it was thoroughly decorated with pictures and symbols of an entirely different religion. We were escorted into the salon (“living room” in Polish) where two dusty Torah scrolls lay on the couch. I could not take my eyes off of them.

Who knows where these scrolls once were? What great synagogue or humble shteibel was home to these scrolls? Where are the people who once regularly read from them during the prayer service? Where are the children who kissed them as they were carried down the aisle? No one will ever know. But one thing I did know is that these scrolls did not belong here.

The two men allowed me to lift them and place them on the table to examine them. I was very careful to hold them in the ritual manner of respect and reverence. Even if the scrolls were no longer able to be used in religious services, they deserved to be moved to a place of respect. After getting some scant details about how they found their way to this small judenfrei Polish town, I got down to business. Keeping my calm and hiding my desperation, I negotiated a price (cash only). We shook hands to consummate the deal, and I left. Now I needed to come up with the money.

A student of mine heard about the “deal.” He launched an online campaign, reaching out mostly to his network of friends and relatives via Facebook. Within a few days, all of the funds had been pledged. His pitch for the campaign: Help us restore the glory of the Jewish people. It took a few more days to collect the pledges and to transfer the funds to Lukaz. Lukaz traveled back to Radom to make the transaction. That day I waited nervously and impatiently to hear back from Lukaz. Finally, the moment I was waiting for came. Lukaz sent me a picture of him holding the Torah scrolls, with a smile on his face saying, “They are yours again!”

The next step: getting them to Israel, a challenge complicated by a pandemic.

A VERY SPECIAL PERSON

The most powerful part of every trip is the presence of a Holocaust survivor. I always try to have a survivor accompany us to speak with the students. For the past several years, I have had the privilege of bringing along one of the most incredible people I have ever met in my life, Yosef Levkovich. Resilience is an understatement when it comes to describing him. A survivor of numerous concentration and death camps and the lone survivor of his large family, well into his 90s, he is a beacon of hope, optimism, and passion.

From the moment that he heard about what I had discovered in Poland, his encouragement, interest, and excitement about the endeavor was a great source of support for me. He lives in Jerusalem, and every Friday afternoon I drop in to visit him, share a sip of whiskey, a bite of herring, and hear extraordinary stories about a world that once was. It is the highlight of my week. From the time I received the original call from Lukaz in the end of 2018, not a week has passed by without his asking: when are we going to get them?

THE EVENT

In the summer of 2022, after overcoming many obstacles and a few disappointments, it finally happened. One scroll arrived in Israel (we’re still waiting for the transport of the second scroll). A large celebration was held, and throngs of people came to give honor to the holiest item in the Jewish heritage which had survived the deadliest period in Jewish history. It was a very emotional event, but no one was prepared for the most moving moment – the moment that the surviving Torah scroll was handed to the 96-year-old survivor, who embraced it lovingly and, with tears of joy and tears of mourning mixed together, danced with it. No words can describe the power of that moment of the revival and reuniting of worlds.

IT GOES VIRAL

A single picture was posted on LinkedIn, with a short description of the picture, and my account exploded. An outpouring of love and support came in from all walks of life, from all religions, backgrounds, political associations. Our differences melted away in the face of true joy and hope. The picture even reached the desk of BetterUp, who asked me to join one of their executive team meetings to share the entire story.

MESSAGE OF HOPE

For me and for thousands of others, the image of the Torah scroll that made its way back into the arms of a loving adherent, the Holocaust survivor, is an image of hope, endurance, and triumph. It reflects the power of hope when put to use to survive against the greatest odds and against the most vicious adversaries, and the ability of hope to bridge the divisive gaps between people and enable them to celebrate together something that overshadows our differences.

Rabbi Dr. Yosef Lynn (C’12) is an executive coach who focuses on helping individuals thrive in their professional and personal lives.

As Dean of Students at the David Robinson Institute for Jewish Heritage, Jerusalem, since it opened in 2005, he focuses on helping young professionals develop the tools and gain the knowledge needed to build an amazing marriage, nurture a healthy family, and thrive in their professional ventures.

He is the founder and director of Greatness Within Seminars, and the co-author of Not A Partnership: Why We Keep Getting Marriage Wrong & How We Can Get It Right and Nurture Their Nature: The Torah's Essential Guidance for Parents and Teachers. In addition to a Master of Applied Positive Psychology, he holds a Doctorate in Human and Organizational Psychology (PsyD).

You can reach Yosef at: www.yosefynn.com and yosef@yoseflynn.com