Our pride parade

We had a pride parade last night in our village. It took almost 3 hours to go about half a mile. There was loud music, everyone was dancing and singing in the street. The were were fireworks and the kids were given toys with lights on them to wave. A number of people held torches.

This parade was not about sexuality, this was real Jewish pride. A member of the kehilla was bringing his brand new sefer Torah into the shul.

A large protion of the community participated, each one taking a turn being in the center of the action, holding the brand new Torah scroll, with its gleaming silver crown. My kids were running all over the place, my 5 year old tried dancing with the teenagers.

The excitement grew as we got close to the shul and the other Torah's in the shul came out to meet the new Torah and they all danced together in the street. We finally entered the shul and the Torah was placed in the aron all by itself, as the new prince of the shul. The other Torahs were then placed around it and some tehillim were recited. The new Torah was then brought out and the last portion of the Torah, the "chosson torah" was read.

I remember the first time I was at a new Torah ceremony. Someone from our community was bringing a Torah to Chicago, to Telz, his alma mater. I was probably around 10 years old at the time, and I went with my father to the bg occassion. I very clearly remember holding the Torah while we were on the plane and how special it felt to be a part of the simcha.

The Torah is the true pride of the Jewish people