Hundreds of people danced through Kirkland, WA accompanied by a live band and a canopy to welcome the first permanent Torah dedicated to Chabad of Kirkland led by Rabbi Chaim Shaul and Sarale Rivkin.
Hundreds of people danced through the Kirkland, WA suburb of Seattle this Sunday accompanied by a live band, a passel of photographers, and a chuppa. The center of all that attention? A brand-new Sefer Torah. The first permanent Torah dedicated to the Chabad of Kirkland – Center for Jewish Life.
The gathering had all the markings of a typical Siyum Sefer Torah, but it was a unique experience for the residents and community members.
Sofer Rabbi Moshe Klein of Crown Heights flew in to complete the writing of the Torah, which is a first for the city and has been welcomed with much excitement by community members.
“What an incredible day for our community in Kirkland,” Mr. Sean Cook of Kirkland shared. “We now have our very own Torah . . . 5,783 years of tradition is alive and beating in this corner of the world.
The Torah scroll will serve Seattle North Eastside’s approximately 1,000 Jews, as well as the many business visitors who travel through the area.
The project was spearheaded by Chabad emissaries Rabbi Chaim Shaul and Sarale Rivkin, who moved down to Kirkland in 2017 to found the Chabad of Kirkland.
“The community came out in droves to welcome the Torah,” describes Rabbi Rivkin. “This small town had never seen anything like it. Until now, we had been relying on borrowed Torahs from other shuls, but we finally have our own. It really is the foundation of our growing and vibrant community.”
The Torah Was dedicated by community members and friends in memory of Mr. Guy Levy a”h who tragically passed away a few months ago in a car accident. His parents flew from Israel to join the celebration and were honored to complete the writing of the last letter of the Torah in memory of their son.
The Shluchim family from all over the state of Washington have joined the celebration as well as Rabbi Sholom Ber and Chani Levitin head Shluchim to the Pacific Northwest region.
The city of Kirkland the 12th largest in Washington, is nationally known as the headquarters of Costco and also serves as a hub for Google. Ever since the Rivkins moved down four years ago, they have been putting in immense efforts to reach every yid in the area.
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