12 Haftarah scroll

Gershon Sofer

Prossnitz, 1732 (today: Prostejov, Czech Republic)

Donation of Aharon Moshe ben Iserl

vellum, ink, quadrate script

present of Ferenc Mezey, 1910

In the synagogue, the weekly portion of the Torah, the five books of Moses, is read each Shabbat and on holidays. Afterwards, another portion is read from the Prophets of the Hebrew Bible, called Haftarah in Hebrew. There are different rabbinic opinions regarding this portion, whether it should be read from a ritual scroll like the Torah, or if it was permissible to read it from a printed book as well. This vellum scroll was donated to the synagogue of Prossnitz by Aharom Moshe ben Iserl. The titles of each weekly portion is written in red ink by Gershom Sofer, a ritual scribe. Many Jewish families in Pest originate from the old and prestigious community of Prossnitz in Moravia, which is why this scroll was among the first items in the collection of the museum.