Women's Torah Project

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The Women's Torah Project was a joint effort by Jewish writers and artists to produce a Torah scroll (Sefer Torah) with all of their jewelry. This was done under the auspices of the Kadima Reconstructionist Church in Seattle . In 2010, after seven years of work, the first complete Torah scroll was created by women. (Jen Taylor Friedman had already completed a Torah scroll individually in 2007, but without making the jewelry.) Two women wrote their part of the parchment sheets in Israel, two in the United States, and one each in Brazil and Canada.

background

The calligraphic execution of the letters is regulated in detail.

The profession of Torah writer ( Sofer ) is traditionally exercised by men; Since it is about the acquisition of traditional knowledge, it was difficult for women to be trained and recognized as Soferet (writer).

It is true that it is considered a mitzvah to write a Torah scroll yourself. Literally, however, this obligation would be difficult to fulfill. The material is expensive and the time required is considerable. A professional sofer takes about a year to complete a Torah scroll, a less experienced person would work on it correspondingly longer. But the main difficulty is the comprehensive set of rules that must be observed when making this ritual item. And so the mitzvah of Torah writing can also be fulfilled by symbolically assisting a professional sofer.

The Halacha is undecided as to whether a Jewish woman is allowed to write a Torah scroll. Maimonides excluded women from writing the Torah because the purpose of the act was to study the Torah, and women were not allowed to study the Torah in Maimonides' world. However, Torah study is now open to women in most Jewish communities, including Orthodoxy .

In 2003, Kadima commissioned Fern Feldman (who had only received her ordination as a rabbi from the Alliance for Jewish Renewal that year) to research the relevant halacha. Rabbi Harry Zeitlin judged, “The real question is not: can a woman write a kosher Sefer Torah? Rather: Why did it take so long until this new era begins? ”Zeitlin is assigned to Orthodox Judaism, but represents unconventional positions and is e.g. B. known through regular contributions to the Jerusalem Post .

The ink is touched and the nib is cut itself.

Preparations

After the positive rabbinical opinion, Kadima acquired the materials necessary for a Sefer Torah, including:

  • 62 sheets of parchment
  • kosher ink
  • kosher springs
  • Wooden sticks for winding

Kadima supported Aviel Barclay and Shoshana Gugenheim's Soferet training financially, although Barclay was already well advanced and Gugenheim first had to get used to it. There is a Sofer in Jerusalem with a Haredi background who has taught a number of women in his art, but whose identity is carefully concealed.

More women were sought for the manufacture of the jewelry with which a Sefer Torah is equipped.

The cost of the project should be financed by donations. The writers were paid for their work, the artists only had material costs reimbursed.

The work of the writers

Aviel Barclay, who at the time was the only Soferet in the world, was approached as the writer of the text. This was suddenly known to a wider public through the Women's Torah Project, and traditionally minded members of the Jewish community questioned Barclay's competence as a Soferet.

Shoshana Gugenheim began studying Jewish studies at the Hebrew College after completing her training as an art teacher. She set up her workplace as a Soferet near Jerusalem.

At the same time, Rachel Reichhardt began writing the Torah in Sao Paulo, Brazil. She had received the title Soferet in 2004 from the Bet Ezra Ha'Sofer Institute of the Progressive Rabbinical Seminary in Sao Paulo.

Linda Coppleson started working as Soferet in November 2008. She was trained by Sofer Dr. Eric Ray received; after his death she formed a study group with Jen Taylor Friedman to perfect her skills. Linda Coppleson had at the Solomon Schechter Day School in West Orange, New Jersey, 17 years Tanakh teaches Rabbinic tradition and Jewish history. She had experience of Ketubbot calligraphy before she was trained as a Soferet.

Julie Seltzer joined the study group led by Shoshana Gugenheim and Jen Taylor Friedman.

Irma Penn, archivist at the Jewish Heritage Center of Western Canada, fulfilled her wish to train as a Soferet when she retired. She then took part in the Torah Project as the last writer.

Manufacture of the Torah jewelry

The artistic contribution was important under the aspect of Chiddur Mitzvah: a Mitzvah should not be performed, but should be fulfilled in the most beautiful way possible. With regard to ritual objects, this means that high-quality materials and the best workmanship are sought.

  • Jad : The artist, Laurel Robinson, is a professor of arts at Georgia Southwestern State University. The Torazeiger takes up motifs from the Song of Songs .
  • Toramantel : Sooze Bloom deLeon Grossman chose as motif the like used in the Jewish tradition symbol of the pomegranate.
  • Amy Gilron, who runs a workshop for Judaica in Beersheva, turned the rods (Etz Chajim) on which the roll is wound and provided them with wooden inlays.
  • Rimmonim : The Kunstschmiedin Aimee Golant was known by the designed by her mezuzah .
  • Andrea Sher-Leff created the closure of the Tora flag, which symbolically holds the scroll together.

Inauguration of the Torah scroll

On October 15, 2010, the work in Seattle was completed. The Sefer Torah with all its jewelry and other ritual objects donated by artists was inaugurated from October 13 to 16, 2010 in the synagogue of Kadima.

Effects

It was important for the writers to network internationally and to encourage women to take the Soferet path. Independently of the Torah Project, an estimated 50 women work as Soferet worldwide or are in training. Participants in the Torah Project then also accepted commissions from other Jewish communities; the Torah scrolls convince through the quality of their execution. Julie Seltzer wrote Tora texts publicly at the Contemporary Jewish Museum San Francisco (see video).

Since the Orthodox Judaism (Orthodox Union) has officially declared Torah scrolls written by women to be not kosher, orders to write ritual texts and to repair damaged scrolls from Orthodox customers are not accepted. A similar situation arises here as it has long been known in the kitchen sector: Orthodox Jews follow a different standard from kashrut, and food or dishes from non-Orthodox Jewish households cannot be integrated into an Orthodox Jewish kitchen because their status is unclear.

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b c d Amy Spiro: Torah, She Wrote. October 7, 2012, accessed February 9, 2018 .
  2. ↑ About Rabbi Fern. Retrieved February 9, 2018 .
  3. ↑ Look how far we've come. In: Women's Torah Project. Retrieved February 9, 2018 .
  4. ↑ Harry Zeitlin. In: The Jerusalem Post. Retrieved February 9, 2018 .
  5. ↑ Jordana Rothstein: First woman to write a Torah Seattle shul commissions Vancouver's Aviel Barclay to be their soferet. August 22, 2003, accessed on February 9, 2018 : “Feldman did not jump into the Woman's Torah Project without first checking its acceptability in halachah (Jewish law). Orthodox and Conservative rabbis have been consulted and, for the most part, have been very enthusiastic about the project. Feldman said that when Harry Zeitlan, an Orthodox rabbi in Seattle, was asked whether it was permissible for a female scribe to produce a sefer Torah, he responded in writing that, "the question is not so much 'Is it halachic?' but 'Why hasn't it happened yet?' "Others, such as Rabbi Ross Singer of Shaarey Tefilah Synagogue in Vancouver, see the project in a" more ambiguous light. " He explained that the majority opinion in the Shulchan Aruch (the book of codified halachah accepted by the Orthodox community) is that a woman is not permitted to write a sefer Torah. The Drisha, an Amoraitic commentator, does, however, consider women to be halachically acceptable sofrot. Regarding the uncertainty of the situation, Singer said, "I have serious reservations about the use of a sefer Torah written by a woman for ritual use, however I support the learning of sofrut by anyone who is sincere, and support Aviel's endeavor to write a sefer Torah. " While aware of these concerns, Feldman is choosing to rely on the positive halachic feedback she has received from other rabbis, as well as what she describes as significant evidence of the halachic permissibility of the project that she has found through research conducted with primary documents. "
  6. ↑ Sue Fishkoff: NJ scribe joins other women in writing a Torah. October 10, 2010, accessed February 9, 2018 .
  7. ↑ Aviel Barclay Rothschild. Retrieved February 9, 2018 (Aviel Barclay's training was supported by Kedima, and she seems to have written a large portion of the text, as Shoshana Gugenheim did not complete her training until later. However, Barclay is not named among the writers on the project's homepage. ).
  8. ↑ Sue Fishkopff: CJMs resident scribe takes part in group Torah project in Seattle. October 22, 2010, accessed February 9, 2018 .
  9. ^ Edward Guthmann: SF metal artist crowned Women's Torah Project. February 7, 2012, accessed February 9, 2018 .
  10. ↑ Rich Tenorio: Female 'sofrot' inscribe themselves in history books. January 1, 2017, accessed February 9, 2018 .