From Moked
These are exciting days for Rossella Bottini Treves, who for years with tenacity and driving passion has led the Jewish community of Biella and Vercelli, which also includes Novara and the area known as VCO, or Verbano – Cusio – Ossola. This time the occasion is unique; March 6th, in fact, marks the return to the Biella Synagogue, in Piazzo, of the old Sefer Torah which, having eluded the clutches of thieves who looted the community’s heritage a few years ago, was restored by sofer Amedeo Spagnoletto. And to make it even more extraordinary, this already festive occasion has another a surprise in store: a few hours ago a letter came from the Director of the Geochronology Laboratory at the University of Illinois, placing the Sefer Torah in a time scale between 1220 and 1270, with a median date of 1252. This means that it is the most ancient text owned by an Italian Jewish community, and probably the oldest Sefer Torah suitable for use in Europe. Coeval with the Sefer of Bologna (which, however, neither belongs to the Jewish community nor is fit to be read in the synagogue), it was preserved together with other ancient and very valuable scrolls, but proved to be the most restorable. After many months of work it has now returned to the small synagogue, from which it leaves again to participate in a festive ceremony, the Haknasat Sefer Torah, part of another rare event in the small community of Piedmont: a collective Shabbat with Rav Elia Richetti, the rabbi in charge of the community, Rav Somekh and Rav Spagnoletto. As the synagogue is so small the president of the community decided to divide the day into two events: in the morning the ceremony for the return of the Sefer Torah in the bet haKenesseth will fill the ancient wooden benches (also recently restored, like the rest of the synagogue) with mainly the Jewish community, while at Palazzo Gromo Losa, just a short walk from the synagogue, there will be speeches by representatives of the institutions and those who have contributed to the recovery of the Sefer Torah, including a speech by the sofer who has done so much to restore it to the original function for which it was created so many centuries ago, and to determine the recognition of its true value, both historical and symbolic.
“Restoring a Sefer Torah to its proper use means reclaiming possession of the religious tradition and memory of a community that has remained constantly present and alive in the area”, explained the president of the community, adding immediately “I am also particularly grateful to those who have contributed to this latest restoration – the Foundation for Jewish Cultural Heritage in Italy, the Union of Italian Jewish Communities, the Ministry of Cultural Heritage, department of library and archival material promotion, publishing and cultural institutions of the Piedmont Region, the bank foundations and, in particular, the CRT Foundation, which has steadfastly supported and contributed to the preservation and restoration of the Vercelli and Biella synagogues since 2003”.And it is not only the Sefer Torah that is being returned to her community. An ancient Meghillat Esther – unfortunately not given but only on loan for ten years – will be handed over by the Mayor of Biella, Marco Cavicchioli, to Rav Richetti to be returned to the Aron ha-Kodesh in the presence of the local authorities, State Archives director Patrizia Bolengo and Dario Disegni, attending as president both of the Jewish Community of Turin and of the Italian Jewish Cultural Heritage Foundation, who has contributed greatly to the restoration of the Sefer Torah. “And I will not stop here – there are many other beautiful and valuable things still to be recovered which are part of the heritage of the community, beginning with other Sifrei Torah, for example, but I know there are also a number of 16th-Century Ketubot that I would very much like to see returned to their original community.”Now, however, it is time to enjoy this joyful event that has cost so much effort and long commitment, while, in the meantime, as Rossella Bottini Treves says, the importance of the Sefer Torah of Biella is gradually being recognised.”It is a great joy, but also a considerable responsibility; we are also getting ready for this, but for now I can only say how happy and moved I am.”
Ada Treves twitter @atrevesmoked
(2 marzo 2016)
