A Torah Returns to Poland

Narrated by Theodore Bikel

A Torah Returns to Poland is a scroll of parchment framed by a spindle at each end, the words on which provide the foundation of Jewish religious and social life. Recounting the first five books of the Hebrew Scriptures, the Torah is the focal piece around which many important prayer services – and ways of life -- revolve. However diverse Jewish communities around the globe may be in custom, all are established on the framework of the law set forth in the Torah.

A Torah Returns to Poland is a half-hour story tracing the journey of one particular Torah that had its origins in Alsace, France in 1876. Nourishing its healthy Jewish population for decades, World War II tragically altered its fate. When the Alsatian Jewish community was deported to the Nazi death camp of Auschwitz built in Poland by the German army, they brought their Torah with them; it was found in tact in Poland after the war, a survivor of the Holocaust that had consumed almost all of the community it had once served. From the ruins, the Torah somehow found its way to New York's Lower East Side. There it was obtained by the Manhattan family of Harley and Marie Lippman who brought it full circle back to Poland in June 2005, contributing it to the Polish Jewish community in honor of their daughter's Bat Mitzvah, a Jewish ceremony celebrated when a child turns 13. This is a story that celebrates the continuity of Jewish life, manifested both by the survival of the Torah itself as well as the rebirth of Jewish life in Poland today.

Initially produced as a 17 minute piece for the sponsor's private purposes, the story was the recipient of a silver Telly Award and a Summit Award. The Telly is a widely known and highly respected national and international competition receiving over 12,000 worldwide entries annually with only 7-10% of entrants receiving a silver statuette, the highest award bestowed. Summit has established itself as a premier arbiter of communication excellence. Its award letter stated: "Among the thousands of submissions from twenty-six countries, your creative scored among the very best... Discriminating critics were highly impressed with your company's creativity.”

The documentary is narrated by famous theatre, film and television actor Theodore Bikel. Perhaps best known for his portrayal of Tevye when Fiddler on the Roof made its Broadway debut in 1967 and over 2000 times since, Bikel has acted in more than 30 movies and countless theatre performances, the latter including the original Captain von Trapp in The Sound of Music. A co-founder of the Newport Folk Festival, Bikel is also an accomplished musician.

A Torah Returns to Poland was released in August 2006 and has already aired in 39% of the PBS markets across the United States. It is anticipated that in December, around the time of Chanukah, it will be re-broadcast and aired on a number of additional stations. For a complete listing of airing dates and times, please refer to the Broadcast Schedules pages.