Thousands gather at Western Wall for ceremonial completion of ninth Torah scroll written by children worldwide

Tens of thousands of people gathered at Jerusalem’s Western Wall to celebrate the completion of a Torah scroll written by children from around the globe. The ninth such scroll to be created through the ‘Children of Israel’ initiative was formally completed in a ceremonial event that drew massive crowds to one of Judaism’s holiest sites. The scroll had been written following the registration of 304,805 children from across the world who participated in the project by writing individual letters as part of the Torah text.

The celebration featured the inscribing of the final letters of the scroll, a traditional procession known as a hakafot (circumambulation), and musical performances. The event brought together rabbis and renowned Israeli singers who led participants in song and prayer as the last letters were ceremonially completed. The atmosphere was described as deeply emotional, with many attendees moved by the symbolic significance of children from the diaspora contributing to a sacred religious text.

The ‘Children of Israel’ project represents an international collaborative effort to create Torah scrolls by involving young people globally. Each participating child writes or sponsors a letter in the scroll, creating a tangible connection between Jewish youth worldwide and their religious heritage. The ninth scroll marks a significant milestone for the initiative, which has grown substantially since its inception, demonstrating widespread support for connecting the next generation to Torah study and Jewish tradition.

Source: Maariv — Original article in Hebrew.