New Rochelle Sephardic Minyan Completes a New Torah By Judy Berger | May 13, 2021 On May 9, the Sephardic minyan at the Young Israel of New Rochelle welcomed a new sefer Torah. The Sephardic-style Torah was commissioned by Sephardic minyan members and dedicated l’ilui nishmat Meyer ben Haim, Meyer Ouaknine, z”l. Festivities, held at the home of Steven and Nataly Neuwirth, began with a traditional Sephardic Shacharit. The Torah’s sofer, HaRav Bensadoun, brought his handiwork from Israel to complete the final 26 letters of the Torah. Twenty-six members of the community were honored with writing these letters. Nataly Neuwirth said: “My dad is present in my life now more than he ever was. He is my angel. He has taught me and my siblings so much about how to be a human being. More importantly, he taught us the true meaning of kibud av v’em in the way he honored his own parents. We cannot duplicate that, even if we tried. While the idea of a more regular Sephardic minyan within our own community was brewing, the details of what’s involved included having its own sefer Torah.”