98 Year Old Holocaust Survivor Torah Mantel

This 98-year-old Holocaust survivor decided that the time had come!

It was Erev Rosh Hashana and she decided that she just had to dedicate a Sefer Torah in memory of her MANY relatives who had perished in the Holocaust. She needed a gorgeous Torah mantel to be ready asap! As in- for Erev Shabbos Bereishis.

Her son-in-law called me and mentioned that Hershkowitz Eitz Chayims had lighly recommened me for a Torah mantel. I was knee-deep in fulfilling my Rosh Hashana orders and did not have a second free to create a new Torah mantel. But I suddenly remembered that I did have ONE extra Torah mantel lying around. If his mother-in-law likes it, I will add her dedication names in back.

So I called her and described the Torah mantel's design. (Over the phone!) She confirmed. She then went on to write in her incredible scrawly, 98-year-old script, the names of all of her and her husband's relatives who had perished.
Hashem Yishmor- there were so many names!!!!

Well, here is the dedication. Mrs. Pollack's way of memorializing her relatives Hy"d.

Instead of sending the finished product to her with a shipping company, like I normally do, I decided to take a few of my kids to Ramat Gan to meet this lady, a rare piece of history. They don't know any Holocaust survivors. Mrs. Pollack cried when she saw the mantel and my children benefitted by meeting a living Survivor. It was surreal!