While attending the WUPJ Connections Conference in Rio last month, Kehilat Shanghai member Jeanine Buzali received an historic Torah as a gift from Rio's Progressive community to bring back to her congregation.

While attending the WUPJ Connections Conference in Rio last month, Kehilat Shanghai member Jeanine Buzali received an historic Torah as a gift from Rio's Progressive community to bring back to her congregation.

The Torah was presented by the president, rabbi and head of religious affairs of the Associacao Religiosa Israelita (ARI). In her report to Kehilat Shanghai congregation, Jeanine said: "As I stood on the stage and heard the story and significance of KS's new Torah, I realised that not only was this gift a perfect symbol of Jewish solidarity, but that this Torah is also a profound legacy of Shanghai's rich Jewish history. This Torah was taken to Rio from Germany via Shanghai by Chazan Joseph Aronsohn, who arrived to Rio's budding Jewish community in 1949." She added: "We have received a wonderful gift from our friends in Rio. It is a beautiful historical Torah, and with it comes further opportunity to make our community stronger."