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April 19, 2002
Giving the gift of four Torahs
Wosk’s generosity helped several new Jewish communities to
grow.
CYNTHIA RAMSAY SPECIAL TO THE JEWISH BULLETIN
The Torah is integral to Judaism. For any new congregation, procuring
a Torah is a priority. Imagine then how much it would mean to be
given a Torah as a gift. In 1995, four emerging congregations in
the Lower Mainland received such an honor – White Rock/Surrey,
Burquest, Or Shalom and Shaarey Tefilah. The donor was Morris J.
Wosk.
“It had a huge impact on our community,” said Mark Winston,
former president of the Burquest Community Association, about the
Torah they received.
In its early days, Burquest would borrow a Torah when they needed
one. Just prior to the Wosk donation, the congregation had secured
a Torah on long-term loan from Beth Israel Synagogue. It was BI
member Serge Haber who approached Wosk about giving Burquest a Torah,
said Winston.
“That discussion gradually grew to five Torahs that were donated
to a number of different communities,” said Winston, referring
to the four B.C. congregations and one in Israel.
“He was just so discerning about where his philanthropy would
have impact,” said Winston. “And the Torah has become
a very emotional holding of our community. There’s not a time
we take it out, I think, that we don’t feel a heartfelt satisfaction
that we have that Torah. A lot of us have strong bonds with it in
particular because it serves as a symbol for how our community has
grown.”
Burquest now has two Torahs, the second was given by the Devlin
family in honor of their son’s bar mitzvah. Shaarey Tefilah,
another beneficiary of Wosk’s generosity seven years ago, has
also had a second Torah given to them; Dr. Arthur Hayes, former
president of the synagogue, donated it. The fact that other Torahs
have been donated to these congregations is an illustration of what
Hayes told the Bulletin was Wosk’s desire to be a role model
for others. He felt that if people saw someone giving, they’d
follow suit, said Hayes.
“I never approached Morris Wosk for a five cent donation. Anything
that Morris Wosk did for us was of his own volition, his offering.
He came to me. I never went to him for any help,” said Hayes,
who recounted a past experience he had with Wosk.
In 1970, Wosk was chair of the United Jewish Appeal and Hayes was
a vice-chair. Wosk had to leave for six weeks, right in the middle
of the campaign, said Hayes. Even though it was for something important,
Wosk felt guilty for having left his responsibilities, explained
Hayes, adding that Wosk wanted to repay him somehow. Almost 20 years
later, when Shaarey Tefilah was ready to raise funds to pay their
mortgage, Hayes said Wosk knew the importance of the synagogue and,
remembering his 1970 “debt,” wanted to help the shul.
“Morris Wosk didn’t just drop money in your lap, but made
you a partner,” said Hayes. “We started off with two mortgages,
a first and a second mortgage, and he encouraged me to get the congregation
to go out on a campaign to raise funds, so we eliminated the second
mortgage. Then, at a Negev Dinner several years ago, he approached
me and said he had a crazy idea and he wanted to talk to me. So
I came down to his office and he said, ‘We should wipe out
the first mortgage because I just hate mortgages.’ With his
help, we went ahead and eliminated the first mortgage, so that we
have no capital debt as a result of his support and help.”
Wosk was also Burquest’s principal benefactor in their capital
campaign and his involvement grew out of the donation of the Torah,
said Winston.
The Torah came just before Rosh Hashanah. Even though the dedication
had not taken place, Wosk said that Burquest should use the Torah
in the meantime.
“That was a very generous gesture on his part, because he wasn’t
so interested in the formal recognition as he was in having the
Torah used as quickly as possible,” said Winston.
When the dedication ceremony was finally held, Winston said Wosk
sensed that the community really cared and were determined to have
a building.
“I’d never seen him cry at an event before. There were
a few tears flowing that day,” said Winston, adding that Wosk
not only gave a large personal donation, but took the time to call
others to contribute.
Both Hayes and Winston spoke of the beauty of the Torahs, which
were purchased by Wosk when he was in Jerusalem. They were scripted
by a highly recommended scribe in Mea Shearim.
“All the Torahs have the same script and I think everybody
who has had an opportunity to use them and read them has really
appreciated the craftsmanship that went into the scribing,”
said Winston.
“It was so typical of the way he did things; never doing anything
that wasn’t done properly. Our community would have been happy
with an older, used Torah, just to have one. For us, at that time,
just to have a Torah was an incredible thought. But to have one
of that quality, it was overwhelming,” he continued.
This sentiment was echoed by Hayes.
“The Torah he gave us, he didn’t just go out and look
for a Torah,” said Hayes. “He went to Jerusalem and he
had a sofer, a scribe, complete the Torah. Not only that, it wasn’t
just a Torah, he provided a mantle and a silver crown that went
with it. It was absolutely overwhelming.”
All of the Torah recipients were extremely grateful to Wosk.
“It is an understatement to say that we are most appreciative
of your exceedingly generous and thoughtful contribution of a Torah
to our community. A more accurate description is that we are overwhelmed!”
wrote Ted Gertsl, then-president of White Rock/South Surrey Jewish
Community Centre, in a letter of thanks to Mr. and Mrs. Wosk in
July 1995.
Dr. Hana Wosk, in her capacity as president of Or Shalom, told the
Bulletin at the time that the Torah was an “awesome
gift” to her congregation, adding that “it’s something
that will outlast the generations that are alive now.”
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