The now-merged Melrose B’nai Israel Emanu-El of Elkins Park was featured in The Jewish News of Northern California for gifting a Torah scroll to Rabbi David Kunin of California, who then delivered the scroll to a tiny Jewish community in Manado, Indonesia.

According to the story, it was the fourth Torah scroll Rabbi Kunin brought to the isolated Jewish communities of the Muslim-majority island over the past decade. 

“The people are so excited about being Jewish and about Jewish learning. It invigorates us every time we go,” he said.

The article goes on to give a brief history of Jews in Indonesia, which has seen a “resurgence of interest” as of late, according to Rabbi Kunin. He noted that many churches and other non-Jewish buildings display Stars of David or menorah images, which no one can explain.

The full story is here. You can also watch Indonesian kids reading the Torah, as recorded by Kunin, below:

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Photo: Google