The reading of the Torah is the most important part of a service
in a synagogue because we believe that it contains God's words.
So a Torah scroll is treated with great respect, almost like a king.
And before it's put away, it will be dressed in a robe and a crown.
This is to protect it, but also to remind us of how important it is.
Dressing or undressing the Torah.
is called gelila in Hebrew
and it usually takes two people to do it.
One person rolls up the scroll
and carefully lifts it up by the bottom handles of the rollers.
Then another person can start the dressing by tying a sash
or belt around the middle to keep the two rollers together.
This belt is called a chagurah or a gartel
Then the scrolls are covered with a mantle which is usually made
from a rich material like velvet and often beautifully embroidered.
There are two holes in the top for the handles of the rollers to poke through.
In some shuls, a breastplate or chosen in Hebrew is added over the mantle.
This is like a silver apron or bib on a chain and
represents the breastplate that the priests used to wear in the temple
in Jerusalem before it was destroyed nearly 2000 years ago.
Sometimes the Yad, the pointer will be hung over the top.
Finally, the top of the Torah scroll will be adorned with a crown.
This might be an actual crown called a keter that fits over the top
of both roller handles or two finials or decorated caps that go on each handle.
These are called rimonim, which means pomegranates in Hebrew
because they are often made to look like fruit called pomegranates.
People used to believe that there were 613 seeds in each pomegranate,
one for each of the commandments in the Torah.
Now the scroll is carried very carefully
to the Ark or the Aron Hakodesh, which is a special cupboard
at the front of the shul where all the scrolls are kept
and then the doors of the ark are closed.