The Rescued Czech Scrolls

A talk via Zoom by Jeffrey Ohrenstein about their history, original and ultimate ‘homes’, and an insight into Czech Jewish history.

In 1942 the Jewish communities of Bohemia and Moravia packed their Sifrei Torah, gold and silver filials, books and textiles and sent them to the Jewish Museum in Prague.

In 1963 Artia, a company run by the Czechoslovak Communist government, approached Eric Estorick an art dealer who frequently visited Prague, to ask if he was interested in buying some Torah and other scrolls. He approached a client who discussed the situation with the Rabbi of the Westminster Synagogue.

In 1964  1,564 scrolls arrived in London. The Memorial Scrolls Trust was set up and the scrolls have subsequently been allocated to communities and organisations around the world.

Jeffrey Ohrenstein was born in England, but brought up and educated in New Zealand, England and South Africa. His work necessitated extensive travel to the Far East as well as Europe. Jeffrey has been Chairman of the Memorial Scrolls Trust at Westminster Synagogue since 2015 and has made a point of visiting MST Czech scroll-holding communities in many countries. Helping to develop cross-community relations, in March 2026 he participated in the unveiling of a permanent display of a Czech Torah in the Czech Parliament’s Chamber of Deputies, ‘the first such development in the world’.

It may be possible to visit Westminster Synagogue and see some of the rescued Scrolls one morning or afternoon. Please contact bcsa@bcsa.co.uk if you would like to do so.

Registration for this event is essential to receive the Zoom link, details to follow