Clergy and representatives of the Chizuk Amuno Con-gregation visited North Oaks last month to further its year-long effort to write the more than 304,000 letters contained in the congregation’s Torah scroll. As part of the celebration of its 140-year history, Chizuk Amuno is ambitiously attempting to engage and involve each of its synagogue members and others in the larger community in this program, and is tracking down in-dividuals that may have moved from the immediate community.

The Jewish tradition teaches that if we have helped write even one of the letters, we have fulfilled the last commandment in the Torah, which is that every person should write a Torah.

“We have been kissing, hug-ging, loving and dancing with the Torah for more than 3,000 years, and we need to do everything in our power to maintain the

integrity and usefulness of this important symbol of the Jewish heritage,” explained Rabbi Moshe Druin, a sofer (Torah scribe) that travels to the Baltimore area twice each month from southern Florida to assist with the program.

One-by-one, North Oaks residents were invited to write one letter of the scroll by tracing the symbol with a special ink pen. A photographer was on-hand to re-cord the moment, instantly print the image and embed it within a plaque that commemorated the achieve-ment. Rabbi Deborah Wechsler and Laurel Freedman, Director of Congregational Advancement for Chizuk Amuno interacted with the residents throughout the af-ternoon session.

“Our residents were extremely touched and moved by this experience, and we thank Chizuk Amuno for mak-ing this special effort to make them feel so essential to the success of its campaign,” said Mark E. Press-man, Executive Director of North Oaks. “Synagogue relationships remain deep, significant and life-long. Many within our community retain strong bonds to their respective religious affiliations, and this outreach effort served to keep them involved and connected,” he added.

Two North Oaks residents have created a perpetual legacy for their families with the creation of scholarship funds that directly benefit young people living within the immediate community. Both are somewhat reticent to discuss specifics, because public gratitude and acclaim were not the drivers of their generosity. Rather, they were motivated with the comfort that they were helping improve the life of a young person.

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Volume 4, No. 4, April 30 • 2011

Torah Writing With Chizuk Amuno

Making A Difference In The Community

Special ”In The Community” Issue North Oaks and its residents play integral roles in our local community. This month’s newsletter dem-onstrates three examples of our activities with reli-gious organizations, philanthropic endeavors and in the workplace. All of which keeps us On The Move!

North Oaks resident Lottie Steinberg receives hands-on training from Rabbi Moshe Druin, a

certified sofer (Torah scribe).

In The Community

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New North Oaks resident Aaron Margolis still enjoys visiting his office in Towson to “catch up on work.”

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Margie Warres established a scholarship that is awarded to “spe-cial needs” students at Goucher College on an annual basis. For many years, she served as the Executive Director for the Central Scholarship Bureau in Pikesville and witnessed first-hand the power and positive effect of financial assistance on a young per-son’s life.

“I have no role in the selection of the winner, but am invited to a luncheon with the individual, which I enjoy very much. I just met the young man who was selected this year and he is lovely. It was important that we picked someone who needed a little extra help because of physical or other limitations.”

Sarah Kappelman Harris established the S. Herbert Harris and Sarah Kappelman Harris Preschool Scholarship Fund at Beth El Congregation, to honor the memory of her late husband. Both were founding members of the congregation in the 1940s. “We saw the value and importance of a quality childhood education and my husband had always talked about establishing a program. He would have been extremely proud of this,” Sarah added.

Other North Oaks residents have also given back to the commu-nity. Ali Russel donated a computer center to the Myerberg Se-nior Center and Rose Lazinsky established rooms at Beth Tfiloh and Sinai Hospital. After receiving life-saving care at Northeast-ern University, Selma Carton gave generously to that institution.

Still Working 9 - 5Recently moved-in residents Aaron Margolis and Erwin Baida share a common bond that makes them fairly unique in our com-munity – namely, they still visit the office to go to work, albeit on a part-time basis. Both find that their new residential envi-ronment provides them with important amenities that facilitate their desire to remain active in the workforce.

Mr. Baida is employed part-time as an accountant with The Cordish Company, a national real estate development company. “The availability of a great breakfast gives me one less thing to worry about in the morning and, while I am gone, I know that my wife Lillian is getting good care and is surrounded by many of her friends. That is a comforting feeling,” he said. Aaron Margolis, who founded Margolis, Pritzker, Epstein & Blatt, a general practice law firm more than 40 years ago, still regularly visits his office in Towson several times each week “to catch up on his work.” North Oaks makes it easy to continue this

lifestyle with maintenance-free living. “I love the short drive to Towson,” Mr. Margolis explained, who believes that staying mentally challenged is one of the keys to overall health.

We are aware of at least one other working resident. Jerome Scherr still spends time at his firm, EmJay Engineering.