About Our Torah
A Holocaust survivor blesses our sacred community
On March 6, 2026 (17 Adar 5786), Kol Shira held a special Shabbat service to dedicate our Sefer Torah, donated to Kol Shira by Reform Temple of Forest Hills.
The Hebrew term for the inauguration or dedication of a new Torah scroll is Hachnasat Sefer Torah (הכנסת ספר תורה). Translated as "receiving,” or “welcoming” a Torah, this ceremony involves a joyous “parade” and procession to welcome a new scroll into a community.
We honor its history, the courage of those who took it out of Germany, studied with it, and cared for it over so many years. We now take on the responsibility of carrying on its legacy, teaching its words, and using its lessons to guide our own actions.
It is both a gift and an obligation to cherish this Torah scroll and engage with its words. May we be worthy of the gift from The Reform Temple of Forest Hills, NY, given on Shabbat, February 27, 2026 (10 Adar 5786).
The Torah was dedicated by our members and guests on Shabbat, Friday, March 6, 2026 (17 Adar 5786), with blessings and readings.
At Reform Temple of Forest Hills (RTFH) on February 27, 2026, Rabbi Mark Kaiserman (far left) and Cantor Emily Wigod Pincus (far right) present Cantor Abby Gostein and Michael Gostein with the Sefer Torah donated by RTFH to Kol Shira. (Courtesy: Reform Temple of Forest Hills.)
Members of Kol Shira joyfully bring in the Torah to the special Torah dedication service held by Kol Shira members and guests and led by Cantor Abby Gostein on March 6, 2026. The Torah is read for the first time in Austin.
Origin Story
This Torah scroll originated in Germany and was written more than 90 years ago (prior to the 1930s).
Two independent Torah scribes confirmed the Torah’s age and origin from Germany.
Though the scroll’s white-and-gold cover mentions the synagogue in Frankenau, we are not 100% certain that this scroll was commissioned by that synagogue.
That synagogue was part of the smaller, rural Jewish community history in the district of Waldeck-Frankenberg.
The community existed from the 17th century, with the number of residents decreasing rapidly after 1933 due to Nazi persecution.
Several congregational members did escape before Kristallnacht, taking the Torah scroll with them to the U.S., settling in Queens, New York.
Map of Germany, including Frankfurt (source: Wikimedia Commons); Frankenau, Germany, in the 1930s (Source: Creative Commons Attribution 4.0); modern-day Frankenau (source: Creative Commons Attribution 4.0).
The Mitzvah
Kol Shira’s Torah scroll has been a gift from one congregation to another, L'dor Vador (לדור ודור), a true mitzvah.
The family name, Mr. and Mrs. Solomon Katzenstein, is embroidered on the Torah cover given to Kol Shira.
The Katzensteins dedicated two Torah scrolls to Temple Isaiah of Kew Gardens, a community in Queens, New York, in the mid-1930s.
Temple Isaiah of Kew Gardens was a prominent Reform synagogue founded in 1935 by a group of friends, including the Katzensteins, who emigrated from Germany.
Temple Isaiah merged with Temple Sinai, Congregation Beth Hillel, and Temple Emanu-El to form the Reform Temple of Forest Hills in 1995.
The Reform Temple of Forest Hills (RFTH) donated the scroll to Kol Shira on February 27, 2026.
Temple Isaiah of Kew Gardens’ Congregational Seder (n.d.) (Courtesy: Reform Temple of Forest Hills.)
Map pointing to Queens, NY, and a photo from the 1930’s (source: Creative Commons Attribution 4.0).
The Historic RTFH Site
The Reform Temple of Forest Hills sits on a historic site where Helen Keller lived from 1917 to 1938.
Helen Keller (1880–1968) is remembered as an advocate for the blind, an author, and a lecturer, often regarded as the most courageous figure of the 20th century.
The brick-and-limestone gabled house was fondly called “our castle on the marsh.”
Helen Keller lived in a house at this location along with her lifelong companions, Anne Sullivan and Polly Thompson.
Though the original house burned down in 1962, the Reform Temple of Forest Hills on the same site hosts an annual “Helen Keller Shabbat of Inclusion,” featuring a guest speaker who, despite facing a challenge, lives their life to the fullest.
“The only thing worse than being blind is having sight but no vision.” -Helen Keller
Helen Keller’s home from 1917 to 1938 is on the site of the current Reform Temple of Forest Hills. (Source: Creative Commons Attribution 4.0.)
Forest Hills remembers Helen Keller with a 48-foot mural. (Source: Creative Commons Attribution 4.0.)
The Gift to Kol Shira
Reform Temple of Forest Hills leadership decided in 2025 to donate the Sefer Torah to an emerging congregation. At this time, Kol Shira was being formed and seeking membership in the Union for Reform Judaism (URJ). A URJ representative connected us, and RTFH graciously offered to gift us the Torah.
For the Shabbat service held on February 27, 2026 (10 Adar 5786), RTFH spiritual leaders Rabbi Mark Kaiserman and Cantor Emily Wigod Pincus led a meaningful Shabbat service at RTFH, together with Kol Shira’s Cantor Abby Gostein and Michael Gostein, who received the Torah on our behalf.
Watch a video of the full service the Reform Temple of Forest Hill’s YouTube Channel.
Watch the short video clip below to see the passing of the Torah to Cantor Abby Gostein and Michael Gostein. (Source: RTFH YouTube.)
The exterior of the Reform Temple of Forest Hills in Forest Hills, NY. (Courtesy: Reform Temple of Forest Hills.)
Kol Shira Torah Dedication
On March 6, 2026, Kol Shira dedicated the Torah at a joyful Shabbat evening service! The Torah was ushered in under a canopy, with pomp and circumstance, as our Kol Shira Music Makers sang and played their instruments. The Torah was lovingly held in our members' seats, passed from one person to another so everyone could get a turn. Five readers chanted verses, and the congregation gathered around to watch.
Kol Shira congregants and donors celebrated Shavuot 5786 with the Torah and its new custom, green tree of life cover.
Now the congregation is obtaining a High Holy Days cover for the Torah, which is being custom-designed and fabricated for Kol Shira. At the same time, a generous donor is funding the construction of a portable ark to house the Torah during our services.