New Torah Scroll Welcomed into Larnaca’s Jewish Community

At a moving ceremony held on the eve of Rosh Chodesh Elul, members of Larnaca’s Jewish community participated in writing the final letters of a Torah scroll donated by the Lieberman family. A festive procession then made its way through the city’s streets to the Central Synagogue, where celebratory Hakafot and dancing took place. The evening concluded with a Chassidic farbrengen marking the month of Elul and the birthdays of the Baal Shem Tov and the Alter Rebbe.

Larnaca, Cyprus – The Jewish community of Larnaca, Cyprus, experienced moments of emotion, joy and unity this week as it welcomed a new Torah scroll, commissioned and donated by the Lieberman family in honour of the local Jewish community and the entire Jewish people.

The ceremony was attended by rabbis from cities across Cyprus and Chabad emissaries, and became an impressive communal event that brought together community members of all ages—adults, young people and children. The ceremony was hosted by Gil Sassover.

“Everyone Was a Partner”

The event began at the Jewish Cultural Centre of Larnaca, where the final letters of the Torah scroll were written.

Members of the community were invited to participate in writing the concluding letters, thereby making the new Torah scroll something personal and shared by the entire community. One after another, participants came forward to write a letter in the Torah, accompanied by singing, deep emotion and a festive atmosphere.

For many of those present, it was a particularly meaningful moment: witnessing the completion of a new Torah scroll that would soon become an integral part of community life—and having the privilege of taking part in completing it.

Once the writing of the final letters was complete, the central part of the celebration began. The Torah scroll was carried into the street, and members of the community set out in a festive procession towards the Central Synagogue.

Dancing Through the Streets in Celebration of the Torah Scroll

Music, singing and dancing accompanied the procession through the streets, as the Torah scroll was carried with great honour and joy.

Children, young people and adults danced together around the Torah scroll, while passers-by witnessed an extraordinary sight: a small but vibrant Jewish community celebrating the dedication of a Torah scroll in the heart of the city.

Upon the procession’s arrival at the Central Synagogue, festive Hakafot were held in honour of the new Torah scroll.

The atmosphere was one of tremendous joy, as community members danced together around the Torah with a profound sense of belonging and Jewish pride.

From the Joy of the Torah to an Elul Farbrengen

The event concluded with a special Chassidic farbrengen in honour of the month of Elul—the month of Divine mercy and forgiveness, and a time of preparation for Rosh Hashanah.

The farbrengen also marked the birthdays of two great luminaries of Chassidism: the holy Baal Shem Tov, founder of the Chassidic movement, and Rabbi Schneur Zalman of Liadi, known as the Alter Rebbe, author of the Tanya and founder of Chabad Chassidism.

Throughout the farbrengen, emphasis was placed on the message of Elul: personal reflection, drawing closer to God, spiritual growth and, above all, love and unity among the Jewish people.

“This Is More Than a Torah Scroll—It Is a Torah Scroll of Unity”

Community leaders stressed that the significance of the new Torah scroll extends far beyond the addition of another Torah scroll to the synagogue.

“This is a Torah scroll of unity,” members of the community said.

The Chief Rabbi of Cyprus, Rabbi Arie Zeev Raskin, noted: “This is another building block in strengthening the protective wall of Judaism and the unity of the Jewish people.”

Donated by the Lieberman family, the Torah scroll represents the bond and partnership among community members, as well as their shared desire to strengthen Jewish life in Cyprus and give the younger generation a deep connection to the Torah and Jewish tradition.

At a time when the Jewish people are facing numerous challenges, the ceremony carried additional significance: Jews of all ages coming together around the Torah, shared joy and Jewish identity.

The message of the occasion was clear: a Torah scroll connects one Jew to another, one generation to the next, and an individual community to the Jewish people as a whole.

For the Lieberman family, donating the Torah scroll is an expression of love for the Jewish people and a genuine partnership in building the Jewish community of Cyprus.

For the members of the community, it is a gift that will accompany them for many years—on Shabbat and festivals, at circumcisions, Bar and Bat Mitzvahs, and throughout the milestones of Jewish life.

And so, during the month of Elul, on the threshold of the new year, a simple yet powerful message emerged from a Jewish community in Cyprus: Torah, unity and joy—these are the things that connect us all.

May the new Torah scroll bring greater light, holiness and unity to the Jewish community of Cyprus and to the entire Jewish people. May the new year bring peace, blessing, good health, redemption and deliverance.

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