2.7 Million Children United

Over 30,000 people participate in the 9th Kid's Torah completion celebration at the Kotel on August 3, 2026.

A few weeks ago, a special large celebration took place at the Kotel (wailing wall) in Jerusalem, the completion of the ninth Children's Torah scroll—a milestone representing 304,805 Jewish children from communities across the globe, each of whom owns a single letter in a shared scroll. And now, the tenth has begun.

To understand why this campaign matters so deeply, we have to go back to a remarkable moment in history.

The Day Before Osirak

On June 7, 1981, Israel launched one of the most daring military operations of the twentieth century: the destruction of Iraq's Osirak nuclear reactor. Military historians are nearly unanimous—the strike prevented a catastrophic threat to the entire region.

What is less known is what happened the day before.

On June 6th, on the eve of this top-secret mission, the Rebbe issued an urgent directive from his headquarters in Brooklyn. Chabad emissaries worldwide were told to pause their regular pre-Shavuot activities and dedicate every available moment to one task: encouraging Jewish children to acquire a letter in a new communal Torah scroll being written in Jerusalem. Emissaries were instructed to report back on what they had accomplished by day's end.

Two months earlier, the Rebbe had introduced the campaign—a Torah scroll in which Jewish children worldwide would each purchase a single letter for just one dollar. Through that small act, hundreds of thousands of children would be joined together in a single, unified scroll.

In a public address around that time, the Rebbe explained why:

"We now live in a world filled with confusion and turmoil. Nowadays, even a single deranged individual with access to a destructive button or trigger can destabilize an entire region. Such unprecedented chaos must be countered with unique measures."

The unity of Jewish children, expressed through a shared Torah—alongside the natural defensive steps a nation must take—would help ensure peace in Israel and beyond.

At the time, the connection between children's Torah letters and national security may have seemed abstract. The miraculous success of Operation Opera the very next day made it feel like something else entirely.

Body and Soul

Judaism teaches that the Jewish people, like every individual, are composed of body and soul. A person cannot survive if either dimension is neglected—and neither can a nation.

As Israel fights on multiple fronts today, we are witnessing remarkable miracles. We must ensure Israel has everything it needs to prevail. But we must also tend to the spiritual dimension—uniting with one another through Torah and Mitzvot, and strengthening our trust in the G-d Who has protected us throughout history.

The Mitzvah and This Week's Parsha

This week's Torah portion, Nitzavim-Vayeilech, contains the commandment: "And now, write for yourselves this song, and teach it to the Children of Israel... so that this song will be a witness for Me against the children of Israel" (Deuteronomy 31:19).

Maimonides explains that this verse is the basis for one of the Torah's 613 commandments—the obligation for every Jewish person to write, or commission, a Torah scroll of their own. It is, in fact, the very last of the 613 mitzvot, given to the Jewish people just before they entered the Land of Israel more than three thousand years ago.

Our Sages teach that fulfilling this mitzvah is among the steps that prepare the world for the end of exile and the coming of the Messianic era—when the Jewish people will return fully to their land.

Practically speaking, writing or commissioning a full Torah scroll is beyond most people's means. The accepted practice, therefore, is to acquire at least one letter in a communal scroll. Since a Torah with even a single missing letter is considered invalid, owning one letter is like owning the whole Torah.

What better way to fulfill this mitzvah than through a scroll that unites Jewish children across every community and continent?

Over 2.7 Million Letters—and Counting

Since the Rebbe launched the campaign in 1981, more than 2.7 million Jewish children have acquired a letter in the Children’s Torah scrolls. The initiative has since expanded to include adults as well, with a separate Torah scroll dedicated to them.

The ninth scroll has just been completed in Jerusalem. The tenth is underway.

If you or your children, grandchildren, or friends have not yet participated, now is the time. You can acquire a letter for a child here and for adults here.

May the unity of these letters—each one representing a soul, each one an indispensable part of a single scroll— protect our people, avert every threat, and bring the final redemption speedily in our days.