![]() “It’s an incredible step in being welcoming to Jewish students and it strengthens both the Jewish people and our larger community relationship with Gonzaga. It’s symbolic of our encounter with Revelation and with our connection with the Divine,” Rabbi Tamar Malino said. “The Torah scroll itself symbolizes the holiness of the relationship between God and the people of Israel. In a special way, it is hoped that the Torah signifies the Jewish community here at Gonzaga is fully established,” said McCulloh. “It is our hope that with the presence of the Torah now in our community we can see a full engagement in the Sabbath holiday and festival liturgy. Branching from the mission statement, the Torah will allow for deeper religious exploration and an easier way to provide holiday and Shabbat services for Jewish students on campus. The words of support from McCulloh serve as encouragement for the Jewish community to further grow and develop religious beliefs. “If we are to be truly committed to a mission that is about educating the whole person, then it is important to acknowledge the faith traditions of all of our students, specifically today of the Jewish community.” ![]() “Our mission as a university is enlivened and deepened by the contributions of our Jewish community on campus,” President Thayne McCulloh said. ‘The Jewish community here is fully established’ Jewish students carried the Torah under a tallit carried by faculty members. The Torah calls us to gather around it, to love and be loved by one another, and by God.” “It gives us inspiration to grow in a remarkably unique way. “The physical Torah gives us something that we can’t get from sitting in a library or a classroom, or even listening to a Rabbi or a gifted preacher,” said Rabbi Goldstein. Ultimately, generous members of the Gonzaga and local Jewish community contributed $15,000 to acquire the sacred scroll. Inspired by the increasingly lively Jewish community on campus, Rabbi Elizabeth Goldstein spearheaded the movement to secure a Torah for Gonzaga. It’s a very specialized skill to learn how to read from it.” “The text itself is written in its most original form without cancellation marks, without vowels and without any punctuation. “It’s a specific lectionary of reading, divided into one portion for each week of the year, and Jews from all over the world read the same portions each week, always in a cycle,” explained guest speaker Rabbi Tamar Malino of Temple Beth Shalom in Spokane. ![]() It is used during weekday, Sabbath and festival worship services and kept in a special ark as a sign of respect. The Torah is a handwritten copy of the first five books of the Hebrew Bible (the same five books which appear in the Old Testament of the Christian Bible). 1 ceremony, members of Gonzaga’s and Spokane’s Jewish community celebrated the gift and those who made it possible. A copy of the Torah – the sacred text of the Jewish faith – recently arrived at Gonzaga University.
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