A short-circuit in the central Viznitz synagogue in Bnei Brak during Succot sparked a fire that left the scrolls severely damaged.
The Viznitz high rabbinical court followingly declared that the Tuesday evening learning sessions until Pesach will be conducted without speaking on matters that do not pertain to the course of study (ta'anit dibur), and called on its adherents to be more respectful to scholars and donate money toward the repairs of the fire's damage and the writing of new Torah scrolls. The charred scrolls were placed in clay urns, and buried in the Viznitz plot in Bnei Brak. Viznitz is considered to be the second largest hassidut in Israel.Photos by Moshe Goldstein