A BIKER and friend of the Yorkshire Jewish community is to ride 1,000 miles to raise cash for a synagogue.

Dave Langfield, of Fixby, is to ride around the perimeter of England on his 15-year-old Yamaha 100cc motorbike to raise cash for Bradford Synagogue.

The synagogue’s Torah – a holy scroll which contains the Old Testament – is in urgent need of repairs.

The scroll is thought to be centuries old and is believed to have been brought to Yorkshire by Jewish settlers in the late 19th century or early 20th century.

Bradford Synagogue, Bowland Street, is a Grade II listed building which was built in the 1880s.

Because of dwindling congregation numbers, money to repair the scroll is in short supply.

That’s why Dave, who owns a welding machine company, is to ride over four days along England’s three coasts.

The trip, which begins on September 9, will take in Lincolnshire, East Anglia, Kent Sussex, Hampshire, Dorset, Somerset, Devon, South Wales, the Midlands and then back to Huddersfield.

Dave will be accompanied by fellow rider and friend Matthew Marshall, of Halifax.

Dad-of-two Dave, 52, has been friendly with Yorkshire’s Jewish community for many years.

He began reading the Torah 25 years ago and, while he hasn’t converted to Judaism, he follows its teachings.

Dave said: "My study of the Bible has caused me to have a great deal of respect for the Torah.

"Taking my interest in Jewish law further, and having visited Israel several times to visit holy sites, I decided that I wanted to get more involved.

"I learned that the Jewish community in Bradford is in decline and decided to become a friend of Bradford Synagogue.

"The congregation found it a bit strange, but I think they are quite thrilled that I’m doing it.

"I’ve been a motorbike fan since I got my driving licence. I’ve a whole collection of bikes – some with much bigger engines – but I’ve chosen this bike so it’s more of a challenge."

To help Dave email: savethescroll@hotmail.co.uk

For more information on Bradford Synagogue visit: www.bradfordsynagogue.co.uk

Jews, like Christians and Muslims, believe in one god.

The Torah, or Five Books of Moses, is also part of Christianity and Islam.

In Judaism it is written in Hebrew

Unlike Christianity, Jews believe the Messiah is yet to come.

Observant Jewish men wear a cap, called a Kippah, to recognise that God is above them.

Jews have resided in England since the Middle Ages, although they have been expelled several times.

The largest wave of Jewish immigration took place in the late 19th century and early 20th century from Eastern European refugees fleeing pogroms.

Yorkshire’s largest Jewish community is in Moortown, Leeds, though larger communities exist in Manchester and London.