Follow ChabadInfo & Never Miss an Update!

Follow us on Instagram Subscribe to our WhatsApp status and broadcast Follow us on Tiktok Follow us on Facebook Follow us on X Follow us on Google News Subscribe on YouTube

Israel National News

Esther Pollard, Jonathan Pollard’s wife, this week spoke about the decision she made 12 years ago to write a Torah scroll to be dedicated to the Kever of Yosef Hatzadik. 

When Jonathan and Esther sewed the Torah scroll’s parchments this week, Esther emotionally recalled when they decided to write the Torah via an emissary, in the hopes that it would spiritually aid in bringing about Jonathan’s release. 

In order to ensure that the person considered to have written the entire Torah would be Jonathan, the couple decided to avoid collecting any sort of funds, instead choosing to cover the entire cost – thousands of dollars – on their own. Esther emptied her savings on the scroll, and they made a plan to pay the rest of it in installments over the course of many years. 

The Torah scroll, other than its final lines, was completed 11 years ago and has been waiting since then, wrapped in its cover, which bears the words, “Written by Jonathan Pollard, in the 26th year of his imprisonment in the US for his service to the People of Israel.” 

“In order for the Torah scroll to be considered Jonathan’s, we paid for the entire Torah scroll from our own money, at a time when we did not have money at all. Even then, 12 years ago, the Torah scroll was dedicated to the Kever of Yosef Hatzadik, and it has been waiting since then,” Esther Pollard said with visible emotion. 

Earlier this week, the Pollards merited to bring the Torah scroll to the Kever of Yosef Hatzadik, where it was received with great celebration. 

“If I merited to arrive here with Esther, as a free man after 35 years, I have no doubt that we will merit, with G-d’s help, that our dream of redeeming Yosef Hatzadik will also be fulfilled, with G-d’s help,” Jonathan said. “And you and the generations to come will merit to visit the Kever of Yosef Hatzadik every day, and read from this Torah scroll.” 

Samaria Regional Council Head Yossi Dagan congratulated the Pollards, saying: “Both of you are giants who we are humbled to stand before. The entire People of Israel applauds your self-sacrifice for the Torah of Israel and the People of Israel.” 

Rabbi Shmuel Eliyahu, Chief Rabbi of Tzfat, whose father remained in contact with Pollard during his years in prison, said: “It is written, ‘from the prison, he went out to reign.’ If my father, of blessed memory, were here with us now, he would bless you, Jonathan, that from the prison, you should go out to reign. May it be G-d’s will very soon in our days, amen.” 

116