Abandoned Iraqi Torah makes trek to New York

The Torah, with a combination of flat mulberry juice ink and raised lettering, indicates that it is 200 years old. It was abandoned in a Baghdad synagogue with many other Torah scrolls during the exodus of Iraqi Jews to Israel in 1948.

There the Torah scrolls remained, collecting desert dust until Hussein, the Iraqi dictator, stockpiled and hid them not long before the start of the Persian Gulf War.

But in 1991, the Torah was rescued, along with 34 others. After stealing the scrolls from Hussein's stockpile, an Iraqi Muslim stuffed them into the tires of Jordan-bound trucks and from there the sacred texts were transferred into Israeli hands.

Iraqi authorities caught the man and severely beat him.

"It's a remarkable story," said Blu Greenberg, whose son helped repair one of the smuggled scrolls a year ago.

It was during this time that Greenberg was chosen as Drisha's guest of honor at its 20th dinner anniversary. Greenberg, an Orthodox feminist author and activist, is a "great admirer" of Drisha.

Feeling shy about being in the spotlight, she half-jokingly told Drisha, "If you get me off the hook" as a dinner speaker, "I'll try to get a...Torah for you."

Greenberg wasn't relieved from her speaking engagement, but after several discussions with her son and family, they decided to present the Torah to Drisha as a gift.

They dedicated the scroll to Greenberg's father, Rabbi Sam Genauer, who is remembered for his hourlong Torah study before work each day. His granddaughter, Lisa Schlaff, studied at Drisha in part because of his influence.

"It's a full-size Torah. Everyone was worried that it would be too heavy to lift," said Bruder, who explained that the women were instructed in how to handle the Torah prior to its arrival.

Drisha is the first women's study group in America to have its own Torah. Only two such groups in Israel have their own scrolls.

An unknown number of Torahs still remain in Hussein's possession.