Another Hachnassat Sefer Torah

Last week we were once again priviledged to be a part of a beautiful hachnassat sefer torah. This time it was on our own yishuv. The Noibauer family (Miriam Bloch's sister's husbands family or Miriam's brother in laws family) dedicated a sefer torah in our beautiful new shul in memory of his mother. The ceremonies began in the Noibauer home around the corner from us. The torah was completed and out it came to be danced to its new home up the hill. There were children everywhere and as the sun set out came the torches, it was beautiful. It has begun to get cold here especially when the sun sets and it has even rained, that's what davening for rain on simchat torah will get you. It's interesting, today in ulpan we looked out the window and it was pouring, "look sara it is awful, rainy and wet" Sara looks outside...."Oh , baruch hashem, it is wonderful , smell the earth, just what we need!" It's all in the perspective!
Back to the sefer torah....we arrive closer to the shul and I notice that more people are joining in...all kinds...young, old,teenagers and people are really getting into it. The sefer torahs from the shul are brought out to great the new sefer torah and together we all head in to the shul. The dancing continues on and it was nice to watch. Around sukkot time a few of the newspapers put out these laminated inserts of pictures of gush katif and the synagogues to be hung up in your sukkah. There were pictures of the absolutely beautiful batei knesset some similar in design to ours. We have now been in this community for four months and have been lucky enough to have been a part of new beginnings and special celebrations. We are growing attached to our new community and its surroundings. Each new event that we are a part of connects us more to this place. I find myself looking around in admiration at the shuland at our new kehilla and my mind wandered to the poster. I am only here four months and I feel such strong feelings towards our new home. I cannot imagine what the residents of gush katif felt and feel now, especially those who had been there for years upon years and even those that were not there as long. How did they make that final turn from their shuls and walk away? We are also building our home here...we are making decisions about layout and finishes etc. It is a very exciting thing to build a home in Israel and put down roots in eretz hakodesh. Again, I cannot imagine turning and walking out...giving that mezzuza the final kiss and walking away. I look around and say a little prayer that hashem will bless this new sefer torah and keep it here in its new home with us! May the hachnassat sefer torah be a z'chut to the memory of Aharoni's mother, and may we merit to use it here on our yishuv for many , many days and years to come.