The Social Action Committee Council, In Cooperation With Resettlement Service Announces: The Helping Hand Drive For New Arrivals Can you imagine trying to pack your life into two suitcases? Russian families arrive in our community with 2 pieces of luggage per person. You can help provide our new Americans with basic living needs — join the Social Action Committee of your synagogue or temple. From September through June, the Helping Hand Drive For New Arrivals will be collecting items for the new Americans. To make it even easier for you to help, each participating synagogue and temple will be a collection point for donated items. March-April Donation Needs: Cleaning Necessities: Pails, Brooms, Mops, Sponges, etc. EXTEND YOUR HELPING HAND To OUR NEW AMERICANS! • For drop-off point locations, call 642-5393 PARTICIPATING CONGREGATIONS • • • / • •• • Adat Shalom Synagogue, Birmingham Temple, Congregation Beit Kodesh, Congregation Beth Abraham Dille' Moses, Congregation Beth Achim, Congregation Beth Isaac, Congregation Beth Shalom. Congregation B'nai David, Congregation B'nai Moshe, Congregation Shaarey Zedek. Congregation Shir Tikvah. Congregation T'Chiyah, Temple Beth El, Temple Emanu•El. Temple Israel Temple KM Arni. Temple Shir Shalom ;• 14 A 0' l 6088 W. MAPLE AT FARMINGTON RD. • W. Bloomfield • 851-9666 OPEN MON. THRU SAT. 9 TO 6 SUNDAY 8 TO 3 Bring In Your Coupons And Warranties — We'll Work With You! • Mufflers • Brakes • Shocks • Alignment • Maintenance with this ad TUNE-UPS starting at $39.95 4 cyl. (silver crowns, for instance) mandments) from Mt. are not taken," he said. "A Sinai." goy will take the silver and Abraham (he requested leave the scroll." that his last name not be But a burglar who knows used because his children do that a used kosher Torah not know that their father is typically retails for about in jail, let alone what crime $10,000 is likely to head for he committed) said his moral the scroll. In each of the two and religious revulsion at JTS thefts, for example, the stealing Torahs quickly thief removed a sterling became washed away in his silver pointer from the scroll gambling addiction. Years before making off with the before his crime, while in Torah. drug counseling, Abraham Moreover, "fencing" a had heard of someone who stolen scroll is difficult. You stole Torahs. "I said to my- can melt down silver. You self, 'thank God I'm not that can hock a diamond ring. crazy,' " But that was before Overnight a Cadillac can be his addiction became "like transformed into a thousand sharks in a feeding frenzy." spare parts. But what does a Abraham suggested that thief do with a hot Sefer many of those who deal in Torah? Normally his only stolen Torahs probably have option is to sell it to a scribe experience in the Judaica or directly to a synagogue. If business, as he did. "You get a non-Jew, or even a non- to where it's a commodity. religious Jew, tried either of It's got a dollar sign with it. those methods, he would It's just a kiddush cup. likely be caught. What's wrong with selling a "The reason I was able to kiddush cup?" do what I did was because I Yet if the crime itself was religious. If someone becomes mundane, some- else tried that, he'd be cuff- how, there is a unique brand ed," said Abraham, 41, who of guilt that goes with it, is now serving four to nine said Abraham, sitting in his years in prison for stealing 16 Torahs from 10 syn- agogues in the Philadelphia area in 1990. "I went in (to sell the stolen Torahs to scribes) wearing a kippah, speaking a fluent Yiddish, and there was no interroga- tion. ...A goy will never, never in a million years be able to unload it." The syn- agogue could be in any prison shul, beneath a wall American city. The Ark hanging with the words of faces East. The room is lined Psalm 145: "The Lord raises with bookshelves. But the up all the fallen and members of this shul sleep straightens all those who are behind bars. bent over." In the Jewish chapel at "It's like killing someone. Graterford (Pa.) State Cor- You can't just say you're rectional Facility, inmate sorry. What do you do when BM8074 sat with a cup of you steal from the public? I coffee and discussed his embarrassed the whole Jew- crime. He described his com- ish nation. ... Some Jew in pulsive gambling, a six-week Los Angeles who has never Atlantic City spree in early met me feels shame at my 1990 that left him bottomed crime." Like any business, out, exhausted and des- the trade in stolen Torahs perate for money. Desperate has both a supply side and a for more gambling. demand — those who buy He described heading to the ill-gotten scrolls. Philadelphia, his hometown, Sometimes thieves can sell where his family once owned Torahs directly to unsuspec- a Judaica store. "I don't re- ting synagogues. But more member if I got the idea often, looking for a quick while I was sitting at the return, Torah thieves will do (casino) tables or in the car," what Abraham did: sell the he said. He drove to a syn- scrolls to scribes in New agogue he knew, found the York. small chapel deserted and "Listen," said David the Ark unlocked. He Pollack of the New York removed the front Torah. JCRC. "Just because you Moments later it was in his have a beard doesn't mean trunk and he was on his you're a good person." While way. most scribes are honest, of "I'll never forget it. I was course, Mr. Pollack said, the trembling like a leaf. Like I existence of even a few who was carrying down the will buy suspect merchan- Aseres Ha-Dibros (10 Com- dise creates a sufficient What does a thief do with a hot Sefer Torah?