STATEMENT FROM RICK ZITELMAN, PRESIDENT, SAVE A TORAH, INC.

An article that appeared in the January 31, 2010 edition of The Washington Post Magazine raised serious questions about the origins and the quality of Torahs provided through Save A Torah, Inc. and Rabbi Menachem Youlus. To address these concerns objectively, Save A Torah, Inc. commissioned an independent investigation by a distinguished and acclaimed expert scribe (“sofer” or “soferim” in the plural), Rabbi Yitzchok Reisman. Rabbi Reisman has had no prior professional or personal relationship with Rabbi Youlus. Rabbi Reisman enlisted Itzhak Winer, also a Sofer STaM, to assist in his investigation. The two soferim examined 11 Torahs together on February 17, 2010, and they have provided us the enclosed report.

Soferim Reisman and Winer confirmed what we have always known: Rabbi Menachem Youlus is an expert sofer who has restored numerous Torahs to the highest of standards, often at his own expense. Of the 11 Torahs they examined, the soferim found eight to be totally suitable for ritual use in the synagogue (colloquially “kosher”). They also examined two Torahs that had been originally dedicated with the representation that they were not suitable for ritual use (i.e., “not kosher”) and were to be used for display purposes only. Upon examination of these two Torahs, the soferim correctly identified them as being not kosher. One additional Torah was determined not to be kosher today, but the soferim found it was probably kosher at the time of purchase and was likely improperly stored by its owners.

The soferim found no evidence to contradict any information provided by Rabbi Youlus to the purchasers of his Torahs. All of the Torahs examined by the soferim were found to be written in pre-Holocaust years in Eastern Europe, as Rabbi Youlus had determined.

We are incredibly grateful for the support we have received from members of our community in recent weeks, including many who have dedicated or received a Torah through Save A Torah, Inc. As the soferim repeatedly explained to us, Torahs rescued from European countries are frequently purchased from those who possess them with cash and are transported covertly, so there is no documentation of the transaction. Other soferim have had similar experiences in obtaining Torahs that have survived the Holocaust and attest that Rabbi Youlus has followed similar procedures in his efforts to rescue and restore Torahs.

We understand the soferim’s report will not alleviate all concerns that have been raised. Save A Torah and Rabbi Youlus will, in the future, rely exclusively on verifiable information in characterizing the origin of Torahs purchased or dedicated. As part of this effort, Save A Torah, Inc. is developing guidelines that will be followed by Rabbi Youlus in rescuing, documenting and distributing Torahs, so that all future purchasers of Torahs may have confidence regarding the Torahs they obtain.

As we move forward, Save A Torah, Inc. is committed to its mission of locating and acquiring Torahs which have survived the Holocaust or have been taken from Jewish communities in other locations around the world. We will continue to inspect, repair and restore these Torahs, through the work of trained soferim, so that they can be resettled in communities in need of a Torah, providing financial assistance if necessary. We will also continue to research and identify the communities and original owners of our rescued Torahs and return the Torahs to the surviving owners whenever possible.