"Etz Chaim" - A Global Jewish Memorial Initiative
Restoration of old and invalid Torah scrolls to be dedicated in memory of the victims of the massacre and fallen soldiers of the war.
The “Mantzichim” organization specializes in connecting memory with heritage, creating a unique bridge between bereaved families and Jewish communities across the country and the world. The organization, founded after October 7th, offers an innovative approach to meaningful commemoration through the restoration and revival of Torah scrolls, blending ancient Jewish tradition with the needs of modern-day memorialization.
At the heart of the organization’s activities is a meticulous process of renewing Torah scrolls and transforming them into a living, ongoing testimony of the fallen. Each Torah scroll that is renewed becomes a center of continuous community activity, connecting the personal memory of the family with the vibrant life of the community.
The commemoration concept of “Mantzichim” is based on the understanding that meaningful memory must be more than a static monument – it must be alive, breathing, and impactful. By connecting families to communities, the organization creates a cycle of giving and continuity, where each reading of the Torah scroll is a moment of remembrance and renewal.
Yehuda Lanzkron, founder and director of the organization, and Chaim Maitlis, chairman of the organization.
The "Mantzichim" - Memorial Projects in Israel" organization
The organization was established after the October 7th massacre and in the context of the ongoing war, with the goal of strengthening the connection to the Torah while commemorating the victims and the many fallen, in a way that will provide bereaved families with strength and hope.
The founder and director of the organization is Yehuda Lanzkron, an entrepreneur and social activist who has been involved for many years in the fields of memorialization and crowdfunding. Yehuda lost his younger brother Naftali, may his memory be a blessing, about 23 years ago, who was 13 years old when he was killed in a suicide bombing near Kfar Saba. Since then, he has been active in numerous memorial and remembrance initiatives as a personal mission in his brother’s memory.
Project: "Tree of Life"
The organization operates a global Jewish initiative, “Tree of Life,” dedicated to the restoration of Torah scrolls in memory of the fallen and murdered. We are in contact with communities both in Israel and around the world to collect invalid Torah scrolls in need of repair. We are restoring and repairing the scrolls, creating new “Trees of Life” for them, made from trees that were lost in the disaster in the south. We are sewing new covers for them in a joint embroidery project for Jewish women, “Embroidering Life in Their Memory.” We will ensure that every bereaved family can dedicate a Torah scroll in memory of their loved one.
Chumash Oz Ve'Orah - Not another Chumash
There are many Chumashim, some are vowelized, some are illustrated, explained, or expounded. But there is still no Chumash of the people of Israel. The Chumash of the fallen will be the Chumash of all the people of Israel. In every home, school, and synagogue. The many fighters who sacrificed their lives on the seventh of October and in the year that followed will adorn the Chumash with the story of their lives. On every page of the Five Books of Moses, a soldier or soldieress, a fighter or fighteress, a hero or heroine will be commemorated, and alongside their life story, there will be a Torah teaching in their memory and an appreciation and remembrance article from their relatives or friends. From now on, every home and every synagogue will take pride in the Chumash of our generation’s heroes. During Torah readings and Shabbat meals, we will read and speak of them, tell their story, and live their image. They will never be forgotten. They are within the eternal Torah of the people of Israel. They are part of the Five Books of Moses.
Project: "Communities Embroidering in Their Memory"
Gabbais, and Community Members,
The “Communities Embroidering in Their Memory” project is a special initiative to commemorate all the fallen from the massacre on Simchat Torah and from the “Iron Swords” war. The goal of the project is for the upcoming Simchat Torah, when 1,600 synagogues across the country will dance with 1,600 Torah scrolls, each adorned with identical covers, in memory of all the fallen. You are invited to purchase a Torah cover for your community, and the women of the community will be partners in preparing the embroidery for the special cover. They gave their lives for us, and we will keep them in our hearts.
Project: "Embroidering Life in Their Memory"
Do you love people and art? Want to empower bereaved families? The “Mantzichim” organization invites women from across the country and the Jewish world to join a powerful and unique memorial project: to embroider decorations for Torah scrolls. These scrolls will be restored as part of the “Tree of Life” project and dedicated to the memory of the murdered and the fallen.
With your help and the help of the women of Israel, who will embroider together and apart, we will succeed in completing this important memorial project. Together, we will add holiness and unity to the people and offer comfort and hope to the bereaved families.
The stories behind the ventures
