CITY OF HUDSON – Chabad of Columbia County welcomed a Torah scroll to the Jewish community and celebrated its arrival with a music-filled parade through the streets of Hudson.
“Welcoming a new Torah scroll is a special moment,” said Rabbi Mendel Kremer, director of Chabad of Columbia County. “It signifies Jewish pride and solidarity, especially during challenging times.”
The Torah, handmade in Israel, was walked through the streets on Sunday in a celebration of growth and unity for the Jewish Center founded in Columbia County in September 2023.
Since the center’s opening, Rabbi Kremer and his wife, Rochie, have organized Shabbat services, holiday programs, Torah classes, and educational programs for all ages.
“In our current climate, with what is going on around the world, it is very important for us to be out there and being Jewish is very powerful,” said Rabbi Kremer.
It is believed that Sephardic Jews arrived in the port of New Amsterdam from Brazil in 1654 and later in the 1830s, Jewish communities formed in Newburgh, Poughkeepsie and Hudson.
According to the organization, The Chabad of Columbia County is part of the global Chabad-Lubavitch movement, known for its outreach efforts.
The dedication ceremony coincides with the upcoming 30th anniversary of the passing of the movement’s revered leader, Rabbi Menachem Schneerson.
