WESTHAMPTON BEACH, New York (Press Release) — Rabbi Marc Schneier celebrated his 36th anniversary as founding senior rabbi of The Hampton Synagogue on Sunday evening. He was joined by Israel’s Ashkenazi Chief Rabbi Kalman Ber and by his father, Rabbi Arthur Schneier, a child Holocaust survivor from Vienna and the rabbi of Park East Synagogue.
Rabbi Arthur Schneier donated a new Torah in honor of his son’s anniversary. The Chief Rabbi flew in from Israel for less than 24 hours specifically for the dedication, bringing with him a custom-made Torah cover. The Torah is dedicated to Rabbi Marc and Simi Schneier and to the memory of Simi’s parents, Rita and Naftali Teitelbaum, who were also Holocaust survivors. Chazzan Netanel Hershtik, the world-renowned cantor of The Hampton Synagogue, performed with The Hampton Synagogue Choir during the program.
Jewish tradition compares a Torah dedication to a wedding. Writing a Torah scroll is counted as the 613th and final commandment in Jewish law, a commandment that gives every Jew a personal share in the scroll.
Rabbi Marc Schneier is known not only for building the Hamptons’ Jewish community, with Steven Spielberg among its founding donors, but for spreading messages of peace and unity across the Middle East through the Foundation for Ethnic Understanding, planting the seeds of the Abraham Accords.
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Preceding provided by the Hampton Synagogue