From Częstochowa to Bayside: The Story of the KHC's Torah Scroll

Wednesday, May 7, 2025, at 2:30pm EDT

In 1988, while visiting Częstochowa, Poland, Harry Rapaport made a remarkable discovery: a trove of Hebrew Torah scrolls hidden in an underground Jewish ritual bath house for women. Although heavily damaged, these religious artifacts are a living memorial to the local Jewish communities who perished during the Holocaust. Come learn about how one of these scrolls found its way to the Kupferberg Holocaust Center, and the yearlong process involved to both restore and remount this powerful historical artifact.

Featuring Harry Rapaport; Kat Griefen, Program Coordinator and faculty member in QCC's Gallery and Museum Studies Program; Dr. Mark Zelcer, Assistant Professor in QCC's Social Sciences department; and Maria Paula Armelin, a New York City-based Collections and Exhibits Manager.

To attend in person:

Registration ahead of time is required and visitors must show ID upon entering the campus at Queensborough Community College (QCC).

This is a general RSVP. IT DOES NOT GUARANTEE A SEAT. The event in open to the general public on a first-come first-serve basis.

For elevator access to the KHC, enter the QCC Administration building and follow signs for the Kupferberg Holocaust Center. For directions to QCC’s campus, please visit https://www.qcc.cuny.edu/about/index.html#gettingHere.

Host or Publisher The Harriet and Kenneth Kupferberg Holocaust Center