Learning About The Jewish Scribal Arts
A while back Yair made an interesting (and IMO accurate) comment on how it might be a good idea, if the non-orthodox streams began putting some energy into training their Rabbi’s in the “laws of sofrut.” I agree with him and would even add that training our Rabbi’s in this way, is important to the overall health of the Reform, Conservative and Reconstructionist movements.
Anyhow, this evening I came across this great little news blurb, basically doing exactly what Yiar was suggesting in his comment and I thought I would share it with you all.
From YourHub.com
Learn about Jewish Scribal Arts
Learn about the holy work of preparing a Jewish sacred text with Rabbi Kevin Hale at 7 p.m. Wednesday, March 19 at Congregation Beth Evergreen, 2981 Bergen Peak Drive, Evergreen. The public is invited to attend this free Ellen Diesenhof Scholar-in-Residence Event in celebration of Purim.
Rabbi Hale has completed a Megilat Esther, a handwritten scroll with the story of Esther, for Congregation Beth Evergreen, donated in the memory of Ellen Diesenhof, a beloved teacher and congregant, by her family and friends.
Rabbi Hale lives and works as a sofer, a Torah scribe, in Northampton, Massachusetts. A graduate of Yale University, he was a craftsman and toymaker before enrolling in the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College, where he was ordained in 1997. After serving as a congregational rabbi in rural Ohio and in Massachusetts, he followed his dream of training to be Torah scribe. He studied for four years with Dr. Eric Ray, a master scribe and world-renowned authority on Torah scrolls. In 2003 Rabbi Hale had the honor of restoring a 250-year-old Westminster scroll.
Rabbi Hale also serves as the part-time Jewish Chaplain the Veteran’s Administration Medical Center in Leeds, MA, and is director of the Ray Torah Institute.
So Yair, is this (kind of) what you had in mind? I thought so but what do I know? Regardless I think it sounds really cool and is definitely something I wouldn’t mind learning more about at some point down the road.
I Googled “Rabbi Kevin Hale” to see what else I could dig up on him and the lovely work he does but didn’t come up with much .
I did however find this interesting article “Jewish scribe examines Torah scrolls.”
Anyhow, if anyone knows more about this Rabbi or the work he does, please do let me know as I would love to know more about, who he is and what he does.
Be well!
Avi,
A scribe does not have to be a rabbi in the Orthodox world. Would a scribe in the non-Orthodox world have to be one? Couldn’t anyone learn to perform this mitzvah?
-Shimshonit
Yes, yes of course and I maybe should have made that clearer. I was just going with the the term (I believe) Yair used in his comment. Obviously the workshop mentioned above is intended for the general public, so this is not something just for "Rabbi’s."
Avi,
Yeah, this is precisely what I was thinking about. I have seen Rav Hale’s work discussed before. Rabbi Linda Motzkin is also doing similar work. I think it will be interesting to see what develops from this, and how interest grows. I’ll try and find more of the info I’ve seen on him.
Shimshonit,
No and yes. I think the problem is just that there is not a place to learn, unless one learns from an Orthodox scribe, which is impossible for a non-Orthodox convert. So if some of our leaders could teach it, anyone could learn. We could also learn from people like Rav Hale.
I have been fascinated by the scribal arts for as long as I can remember. I have been toying with the idea of rabbinical school but I think my heart is really pulling me toward becoming a soferet. That being said, Jennifer Friedman is a soferet who (I think) had an Orthodox conversion but is much closer to following Conservative Judaism. I find her story fascinating.
Yes, it is difficult for any non-Orthodox convert to become a certified scribe and I think this will only really be resolved by the non-Orthodox world taking a stand and offering access to the education, halachah, and experience needed.