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Spreading the Mitzvah of Mezuzah to All Who Want One in the FSU
"Hear O Israel, the Lord is our God, the Lord is One" begins the familiar Shema, which Jews on every continent of the world recite daily. And so, too, begins the scroll contained in every mezuzah — a symbol, as commanded in the Torah, to be affixed to the doorposts of all Jewish homes.
Marking the entranceway as a reminder of God’s presence and mitzvot, the mezuzah and its contents often serve as a warm welcome to those who visit. But while this tradition has strong roots in North America, Israel and Western Europe, many Jewish homes in the vast former Soviet Union are without this historical marker. Having for decades been denied the freedom to display this holy parchment, whole communities of active Jews in this region do not understand or practice the mitzvah. Among JDC’s efforts to restore vibrant Jewish life to the hundreds of thousands of Jews in the FSU is a movement to restore to them the nuanced religious symbol of the mezuzah. Specifically, programs are underway in Belarus and St. Petersburg, in cooperation with local community volunteers. "A Jewish home does not exist without a mezuzah, " explained the Chief Rabbi of St. Petersburg at a recent sermon entitled "Mezuzah: The Scroll that Protects the Jewish Home." He informed the audience of how the scroll is written, the prayers that are to be recited as the mezuzah is hung, as well as the parameters for affixing it to the door frame. With the help of JDC, the St. Petersburg Jewish Information Center in the Great Choral Synagogue has launched a program helping any Jew who wishes to do so fulfill the mitzvah of having a mezuzah. Newly-trained, knowledgeable congregants are visiting the homes of these families throughout the community to facilitate hanging the ancient symbol and to answer any questions about its function. Meanwhile, in Belarus, a joint effort between JDC and the World Council of Progressive Judaism is training men and women in the ancient art of writing the mezuzah scroll. Committing to become a soifer, or one who performs the significant task of penning part or all of the Torah, is not small task; one must be focused in his/her devotion to God and take seriously the responsibility. Recently, a group of 12 from Russia, Ukraine and Belarus were taught the unique form of Hebrew calligraphy used to record the Biblical phrases contained in the mezuzah on special parchment, provided by JDC. The group learned to write, flawlessly, the two excerpts from the Book of Deuteronomy that are meticulously scripted on every scroll. Based on the success of this lesson and JDC’s commitment to renewing Jewish life and traditions in the FSU where they were once nearly eradicated, future soifer training programs and outreach efforts to Jewish families are being planned. "We are trying to ensure that a mezuzah hangs on the doorpost of every Jewish home," explains a local JDC staff member. "It is important to bring our efforts to strengthen the community also into the home." |
