SUSAN TAWIL
Special to the Jewish News
rocessions at
Hebrew Memorial
Chapel in Oak
Park are usually
solemn. Not so last Sunday,
Sept. 24, when a merry
entourage of about 400 men,
women and children, sang
and danced their way toward
the funeral home. This was no
funeral; rather, it was a
Chachnasat Sefer Torah (Torah
reception), honoring the dedi-
cation of two Sifrei Torah
ED
(Torah scrolls) to the chapel
by Moris (Moshe) Fridman of
Southfield.
Fridman, a spry 94, donated
the scrolls in memory of his
wife, Genia, and in honor of
himself. Born in Nowy
Korczyn, Poland, in 1906,
Fridman miraculously eluded
the Nazis by hiding out during
death camp deportations. After
the war, in 1946, he and Genia
married. In December 1951,
they came to America, where
Fridman worked as a business-
man, peddling dry goods and
hosiery to grocers. He contin-
ued in this line of business
until his retirement at age 85.
When his wife died a little
more than a year ago, Fridman
met with Hebrew Memorial
Funeral Director Rabbi Boruch
Levin to make arrangements
for her burial. Having no chil-
dren, Fridman wished to do
something special to perpetuate
her memory — and, in the
future, his own. Rabbi Levin
suggested he donate a Sefer
Torah to replace one of the old
scrolls kept at the chapel,
which are loaned out to shivah
houses (houses of mourning)
for the weekly Monday and
Thursday Torah readings.
Though not a wealthy man,
Fridman liked the idea so
much he decided to donate not
just one, but two scrolls.
"Rabbi Levin gave me a good
idea, and I liked it," Fridman
said. "When they • use the
Torahs, they'll think of me."
Fridman, who had lived next
to a sofer (Torah scribe) in
Poland, remembered the festive
torchlight Torah dedications of
Europe. He wanted Sunday's
ceremony to recapture that
spirit, and asked Rabbi Levin
to arrange for a grand proces-
sion, complete with music and
flag-waving children.
Day To Remember
The ceremony began at
Fridman's home, with com-
pletion of the Torah scrolls by
Rabbi Avraham Cohen of
Southfield, a certified scribe
and educator at Yeshiva Beth
Yehudah. Honors were dis-
tributed to local rabbis,
Hebrew Memorial board
members and others.
Then, escorted by the
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