Rescued Torah Finds Home at Heschel School

It’s not every day that a school has the chance to acquire a centuries-old, sacred treasure rescued from a war-torn Middle Eastern country. But the parents, students and staff at Abraham Joshua Heschel Day School in Northridge are seizing the opportunity to do just that. Using proceeds from upcoming performances of the musical “Fiddler on the Roof,” the Jewish school will purchase a 400-year-old Torah--the hand-scribed parchment that contains the first five books of the Bible--recently brought to this country from Algeria.

The scroll, which survived a camel trek across the Sahara, was brought out of the North African country after Jewish leaders there learned that the government had begun a campaign to confiscate the important religious works. A thriving cultural and religious entity since the Middle Ages, Algeria’s Jewish population has now dwindled to about 300.

“We’re thrilled that this Torah will have a new life on the Northridge campus, after surviving through the ages in Algeria,” said Jan Goldstein, Heschel’s rabbi-in-residence.

“Fiddler on the Roof” performances begin Thursday and run through Jan. 24. For information, call (818) 368-5781.

PROGRAM NOTES

Rocket Scientists: Fourth- and fifth-graders at Nestle Avenue Elementary School recently accepted a science challenge that even NASA could appreciate. The Boeing Co.’s Ken Phillips gave the 9- and 10-year-old Tarzana students a $1-million imaginary budget to design, build and launch a rocket constructed of Styrofoam, balloons and string. Working within their monetary limits, the youngsters broke into groups, each tackling one aspect of the project, including public relations. After several launch attempts--each one costing a piece of the budget--a rocket successfully lifted off to cheers from the students.

“Ken was so motivating,” said fifth-grade teacher Barbara Huff. “He got the kids to understand aspects of the space program. They also learned to work as a team. It was very powerful.”

EVENTS

Up From the Dust: Students at Northridge Middle School will celebrate the reopening of their auditorium with a ribbon-cutting ceremony at 11 a.m. Friday. The 880-seat Wherry Hall, named after the school’s first principal, suffered severe damage in the Jan. 17, 1994, Northridge earthquake, including a partially caved-in roof.

Los Angeles Unified School District Board President Julie Korenstein will join the middle school’s Institute for World Peace--150 English-as-a-Second Language students who promote peace-building--at the ceremony.

Art Contest: Using their imagination and art skills, Calabash Street Elementary School students have entered a nationwide PTA contest called “Wouldn’t It Be Great If . . . ,” in which contestants express their hopes and dreams through paintings.

Submissions will be displayed to the public on the Woodland Hills campus through Monday. Eight winning works, selected by local artists, will face district-level judging the week of Jan. 22, and national winners will be announced at a convention in San Diego in June. Winning artwork will be seen on PTA greeting cards, posters and ad campaigns.

Class Notes appears every Wednesday. Send news about schools to the Valley Edition, Los Angeles Times, 20000 Prairie St., Chatsworth 91311. Or fax it to (818) 772-3338. Or e-mail them to diane.wedner@latimes.com