A Torah&rsquo;s Journey to the Edge of the WorldFrom Morristown to the Jungles of Costa Rica: A Story of Hashgacha Pratis and Jewish Continuity<img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/hxn9dbuhd/image/upload/v1749587186/wysiwyg/pfbfcgq75ay6cikzcbal.jpg" style="width: 600px; display: block; vertical-align: top; margin: 5px auto; text-align: center; position: relative; max-width: 100%; cursor: pointer; padding: 0px 1px; user-select: none; box-sizing: inherit;" fr-original-style="width: 600px; display: block; vertical-align: top; margin: 5px auto; text-align: center;" fr-original-class="fr-draggable"> BS&rdquo;D On the second day of Shavuot, as we were returning the Sefer Torah to the Aron in our Chabad House in Santa Teresa, Costa Rica, I stood beside the Ark and found my gaze drifting to the &ldquo;other&rdquo; Torah&mdash;an older, Ashkenazi Torah that had been resting silently in the Aron since long before we arrived. As the melodies of the Torah procession filled the room, I glanced at the mantle and began reading the names embroidered on its fabric. Suddenly, my eyes landed on a familiar name at the bottom&mdash;and I froze. Sorhagen. Chana Sorhagen. Mrs. Sorhagen lived across the street from my childhood home on Tikvah Way in Morristown, NJ. For years, she was a fixture at our Shabbos and Yom Tov table. She was elderly, kind, deeply spiritual, and loved to share stories&mdash;especially about the Rebbe. She often told us about receiving dollars from the Rebbe, and the lasting impact it had on her life. She passed away in 2015. And here, in a beach town on the Nicoya Peninsula&mdash;where monkeys swing from trees and the only way to get here is via a bumpy six-hour journey or a small jungle plane&mdash;here stood her Torah. How did it get here? Back in 2007, around the time of my Bar Mitzvah, Mrs. Sorhagen donated a Torah to be sent to a community in need. Through local shluchim, she was connected with Rabbi Herchel Shpalter, head shliach to Central America, who knew of a budding Jewish community in Nicaragua that lacked a Torah. The Torah was sent there and a festive Hachnasat Sefer Torah took place. But political turmoil in Nicaragua caused the expat community to dissolve and the shul eventually shut its doors. Around that same time, Santa Teresa&mdash;a tiny fishing village&mdash;was just beginning to attract young Israeli families and wandering Jewish tourists, mostly surfers. Rabbi Shpalter decided to send the Torah to this jungle town. It was lovingly placed in a room generously lent by community founder Mali Tal, which served as the first shul. Not long after that, a bochur named Menachem Shapiro chanced upon this beach town in search of a surf (or so he thought). The locals convinced him to stay for a couple of months which turned into 14 years (!) servicing the community&rsquo;s every Jewish need. After a while the Torah became pasul, and b&rsquo;hashgacha pratis, not long after that, the Sefardi Torah was donated. The community decided to try and read the Torah regularly. Each Monday and Thursday, some community members gathered to hear the Torah read. In recent years, that &ldquo;gathering&rdquo; turned into a well-attended full-on minyan followed by a lavish breakfast and Torah class. All the while the &ldquo;other&rdquo; Torah sat on the side, waiting to be repaired. After the Sefardi Torah was returned to the Aron, I paused the davening and told over this story. The community was amazed at the hashgacha pratis, and one member&mdash;Maor&mdash;said that when he relocated here to Santa Teresa, it was the first time he saw an Ashkenazi Sefer Torah. At first, he felt a bit indifferent&mdash;it wasn&rsquo;t the Torah he was familiar with. But as time went on, he began to realize that it was this Torah that anchored them as Jews in this distant place. He shared how deeply connected he had grown to it over the years and how he had always hoped it would one day be repaired. Up until that Shavuot, I hadn&rsquo;t paid much attention to the &ldquo;other&rdquo; Torah&mdash;let alone the dedications on it. But now, three years into our shlichus here, we&#39;ve decided to invest in restoring it. It&rsquo;s time to bring this Torah back to life. As Mrs. Sorhagen said at the Torah&rsquo;s original dedication:&ldquo;If you open your eyes, you will see the hand of God is in this. My wish for you is that this Holy Scripture inspires you to live a Jewish life.&rdquo; We are inviting you&mdash;dear reader&mdash;to take part in this beautiful journey. To help us repair this Torah that has traveled thousands of miles, changed countless lives, and now awaits your help to shine again. 👉 Donate <a fr-original-style="" href="https://www.zeffy.com/donation-form/repair-the-other-torah" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="text-decoration-color: initial; user-select: auto; box-sizing: inherit;" target="_blank">HERE</a> to repair &ldquo;the other&rdquo; Torah <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/hxn9dbuhd/image/upload/v1749590891/wysiwyg/g8bvwicmj3hzdedy4kf2.jpg" style="width: 600px; display: block; vertical-align: top; margin: 5px auto; text-align: center; position: relative; max-width: 100%; cursor: pointer; padding: 0px 1px; user-select: none; box-sizing: inherit;" fr-original-style="width: 600px; display: block; vertical-align: top; margin: 5px auto; text-align: center;" fr-original-class="fr-draggable">

Dear <span contenteditable="false" data-custom-variable="{{firstname}}" fr-original-class="fr-deletable styled-tag-chip" fr-original-style="" style="background-color: rgb(248, 248, 255); border: 1px solid rgb(191, 191, 255); border-radius: 4px; color: rgb(42, 42, 196); padding: 1px 8px; font-size: 11px; display: inline-block; margin: 0px; overflow-wrap: anywhere; user-select: none; box-sizing: inherit;">First name, I wanted to thank you for taking part in something truly extraordinary.Your donation toward repairing &ldquo;the other Torah&rdquo; &mdash; the one that has quietly journeyed from Morristown, NJ to a jungle beach town in Costa Rica &mdash; is more than a gift. It&rsquo;s a powerful act of restoration, of reconnection, and of Jewish continuity. Thanks to you, we are on our way to restoring this sacred scroll so it can once again be read, danced with, and cherished by Jews at the &quot;end of the world.&quot;May this mitzvah bring you and your family blessings of health, joy, and deep spiritual connection. With heartfelt gratitude,Rabbi Berel DubinskyChabad of Santa Teresa<a fr-original-style="" href="//ChabadST.com" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="text-decoration-color: initial; user-select: auto; box-sizing: inherit;" target="_blank">ChabadST.com</a>

A Torah’s Journey to the Edge of the WorldFrom Morristown to the Jungles of Costa Rica: A Story of Hashgacha Pratis and Jewish Continuity<img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/hxn9dbuhd/image/upload/v1749587186/wysiwyg/pfbfcgq75ay6cikzcbal.jpg" style="width:600px;display:block;vertical-align:top;margin:5px auto;text-align:center;position:relative;cursor:pointer;padding:0px 1px;user-select:none;box-sizing:inherit;max-width:100%" /> BS”D On the second day of Shavuot, as we were returning the Sefer Torah to the Aron in our Chabad House in Santa Teresa, Costa Rica, I stood beside the Ark and found my gaze drifting to the “other” Torah—an older, Ashkenazi Torah that had been resting silently in the Aron since long before we arrived. As the melodies of the Torah procession filled the room, I glanced at the mantle and began reading the names embroidered on its fabric. Suddenly, my eyes landed on a familiar name at the bottom—and I froze. Sorhagen. Chana Sorhagen. Mrs. Sorhagen lived across the street from my childhood home on Tikvah Way in Morristown, NJ. For years, she was a fixture at our Shabbos and Yom Tov table. She was elderly, kind, deeply spiritual, and loved to share stories—especially about the Rebbe. She often told us about receiving dollars from the Rebbe, and the lasting impact it had on her life. She passed away in 2015. And here, in a beach town on the Nicoya Peninsula—where monkeys swing from trees and the only way to get here is via a bumpy six-hour journey or a small jungle plane—here stood her Torah. How did it get here? Back in 2007, around the time of my Bar Mitzvah, Mrs. Sorhagen donated a Torah to be sent to a community in need. Through local shluchim, she was connected with Rabbi Herchel Shpalter, head shliach to Central America, who knew of a budding Jewish community in Nicaragua that lacked a Torah. The Torah was sent there and a festive Hachnasat Sefer Torah took place. But political turmoil in Nicaragua caused the expat community to dissolve and the shul eventually shut its doors. Around that same time, Santa Teresa—a tiny fishing village—was just beginning to attract young Israeli families and wandering Jewish tourists, mostly surfers. Rabbi Shpalter decided to send the Torah to this jungle town. It was lovingly placed in a room generously lent by community founder Mali Tal, which served as the first shul. Not long after that, a bochur named Menachem Shapiro chanced upon this beach town in search of a surf (or so he thought). The locals convinced him to stay for a couple of months which turned into 14 years (!) servicing the community’s every Jewish need. After a while the Torah became pasul, and b’hashgacha pratis, not long after that, the Sefardi Torah was donated. The community decided to try and read the Torah regularly. Each Monday and Thursday, some community members gathered to hear the Torah read. In recent years, that “gathering” turned into a well-attended full-on minyan followed by a lavish breakfast and Torah class. All the while the “other” Torah sat on the side, waiting to be repaired. After the Sefardi Torah was returned to the Aron, I paused the davening and told over this story. The community was amazed at the hashgacha pratis, and one member—Maor—said that when he relocated here to Santa Teresa, it was the first time he saw an Ashkenazi Sefer Torah. At first, he felt a bit indifferent—it wasn’t the Torah he was familiar with. But as time went on, he began to realize that it was this Torah that anchored them as Jews in this distant place. He shared how deeply connected he had grown to it over the years and how he had always hoped it would one day be repaired. Up until that Shavuot, I hadn’t paid much attention to the “other” Torah—let alone the dedications on it. But now, three years into our shlichus here, we've decided to invest in restoring it. It’s time to bring this Torah back to life. As Mrs. Sorhagen said at the Torah’s original dedication:“If you open your eyes, you will see the hand of God is in this. My wish for you is that this Holy Scripture inspires you to live a Jewish life.” We are inviting you—dear reader—to take part in this beautiful journey. To help us repair this Torah that has traveled thousands of miles, changed countless lives, and now awaits your help to shine again. 👉 Donate <a href="https://www.zeffy.com/donation-form/repair-the-other-torah" target="_blank">HERE</a> to repair “the other” Torah <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/hxn9dbuhd/image/upload/v1749590891/wysiwyg/g8bvwicmj3hzdedy4kf2.jpg" style="width:600px;display:block;vertical-align:top;margin:5px auto;text-align:center;position:relative;cursor:pointer;padding:0px 1px;user-select:none;box-sizing:inherit;max-width:100%" />

Repair the "Other" Torah

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Chabad of Santa Teresa

### Context Profile for Chabad of Santa Teresa

#### 1. Organization Mission & Cause
Chabad of Santa Teresa aims to foster Jewish life and community in Santa Teresa, Costa Rica, particularly for Jewish tourists and expatriates. Their mission is to provide spiritual guidance, education, and support to enhance Jewish continuity and identity in a remote location. The organization emphasizes the importance of Jewish traditions, community building, and the transmission of values through events and programs.

#### 2. Type of Activities
Chabad of Santa Teresa engages in various activities, including:
- **Community Services:** Providing spiritual and educational resources to Jewish residents and visitors.
- **Events:** Hosting Shabbat services, holiday celebrations, and Torah readings.
- **Fundraising Campaigns:** Such as the recent "Repair the 'Other' Torah" campaign, which seeks to restore an older Torah scroll with a rich history.
- **Educational Programs:** Offering Torah classes and discussions to deepen community members' understanding of Jewish teachings.

#### 3. Tone of Voice
The tone of the website and communications is:
- **Friendly and Inviting:** The language is warm and welcoming, encouraging participation and connection.
- **Inspirational:** The narratives often highlight personal stories and the significance of Jewish traditions, aiming to inspire community involvement.
- **Casual Yet Respectful:** While maintaining a level of formality appropriate for religious content, the tone is accessible and relatable.

#### 4. Emoji Usage
The organization does not prominently feature emojis in their website content or communications. The absence of emojis suggests a preference for a more traditional and respectful approach to their messaging, aligning with their religious context.

#### 5. Key Facts
- **Founding Info:** Specific founding details are not explicitly mentioned on the website, but the organization has been active in Santa Teresa for several years, serving a growing Jewish community.
- **Scale:** The organization has a small but dedicated community, primarily catering to local residents and tourists.
- **Impact Metrics:** While specific metrics are not provided, the organization highlights the importance of community engagement and the restoration of cultural artifacts like the Torah.
- **Volunteer Info:** The website encourages community involvement, suggesting that volunteers play a crucial role in their activities, although specific volunteer opportunities are not detailed.

#### 6. Writing Guidelines
- **Use Personal Narratives:** Incorporate stories that resonate with the audience, similar to the "Repair the 'Other' Torah" campaign, which connects personal histories to broader themes of community and continuity.
- **Maintain an Inviting Tone:** Use friendly and inclusive language that encourages participation and fosters a sense of belonging.
- **Focus on Community Impact:** Highlight the significance of contributions and participation in community activities, emphasizing the positive effects on Jewish life in Santa Teresa.
- **Respectful Language:** Ensure that the language used is respectful of Jewish traditions and values, maintaining an appropriate level of formality when discussing religious topics.

This context profile serves as a guide for creating personalized and impactful content for Chabad of Santa Teresa, ensuring alignment with their mission, tone, and community focus.

Chabad of Santa Teresa

Repair the "Other" Torah

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