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8 communiTy news JTnews . www.JTnews.neT . friday, ocTober 1, 2010
after eight years, Women’s torah Project
finally realizes its dream
Janis siegel JTNews Correspondent
In 2002, the Women’s Torah Project
thought it would take a year, maybe 18
months to hire a female Torah scribe and
complete the task of writing the first scroll
in modern history to be written exclusively
by a professionally trained woman
scribe.
Now, eight years after her initial “aha”
moment, Wendy Graff, director of the
WTP for the Kadima Reconstructionist
Community in Seattle, is finally seeing
that dream come to fruition. Later this
month, Kadima will hold a celebration of
its Torah with the presence of five of the
six Torah scribes and six of the eight artists
who have since signed on to the project for
a four-day community-wide celebration.
“It’s really a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity,”
Graff told JTNews. “The panels are
still not all together. Half are in Israel. The
first time they’ll all be together is Oct. 13,
when we will assemble them.”
Many of the sofrot, or scribes, are flying
in from such far-flung locations as Jerusalem,
Brazil, and Winnipeg, while others
in the U.S. are arriving from San Francisco,
New Jersey, Georgia and Texas to
deliver or reunite with their portions of
the 62-panel Torah.
Then, with the help of all who want to
participate, they will
begin the time-sensitive
work of sewing
each of the panels
together before the
culminating Shabbat
celebration, when
the Torah will be
used for the first time
on Oct. 16.
“We’re going to
have six stations for
sewing the panels
together,” said Graff.
“We will also have
all of the embellishments
on display so
people can see the
accoutrements, and
there will be an art
sale during that time
with pieces made by the artists and the
scribes.”
Traditionally called a siyyum, which
means a celebration or a completion of a
study, the WTP is inviting the whole community
to meet the women scribes and
artists, and listen to a lecture on Oct. 13 by
Rabbi Yohanna Kinberg of Temple B’nai
Torah.
Herzl Ner-Tamid
cordially invites you to join us at
Torahthon4
“The Gems of Jewish
Learning: Exploring the
Many Facets of Judaism”
• Wednesday Evenings November 3, 10, and 17 • 7:00 – 9:30 pm
• Special Opening Night Reception starting at 6:45 pm
• $15 per evening (two classes) or all three evenings for $36
• For more information and to register, go to www.h-nt.org or call 206-232-8555 ext 220
Herzl Ner-Tamid 3700 East Mercer Way, Mercer Island, WA 98040
Co-sponsors: AJC Seattle Jewish Film Festival • Bet Alef Meditative Synagogue • Congregation Beth Shalom
Jewish Federation of Greater Seattle • Temple B’nai Torah • The Jewish Day <strong>School</strong> of Metropolitan Seattle
The Seattle Jewish Community <strong>School</strong> • The Stroum Jewish Studies Program at the University of Washington
MICHaEL REITMaN
Soferet linda Coppleson works on a panel of the all-women-scribed torah
to be completed later this month.
Kinberg, who has long been upset
about the treatment of women who wish
to read Torah at the Western Wall in Jerusalem,
said she is delighted about the completion
of this Torah.
“The fact that this Torah was written by
women from all over the world, including
in Israel, seems particularly significant,”
she said. “In our community we’re making
If
you
go:
the Women’s torah project will
hold several events from oct. 13–16,
including a talk by rabbi Yohanna
Kinberg on “Contemporary Women’s
involvement with torah throughout
the World” at 7:30 p.m. on oct.
13 and a sat., oct. 16 shabbat lunch
with a panel discussion by the artists
and sofrot. Cost is $20. panel sewing
and an art show will take place
oct. 13–15 from 10 a.m.–5 p.m. all
events at hillel at the university of
Washington, 4745 17th ave. ne,
seattle. Contact Kadima at 206-547-
3914 or office@kadima.org to RSVP
or for further information.
sure women are taking steps forward.”
On Oct. 16 the project will hold a panel
discussion with the women who created
the scroll and its accoutrements.
Kadima member and longtime artist
Sooze bloom deLeon Grossman made a
reversible, pomegranate-seed-motif Torah
mantle with one side that will be used
during the <strong>High</strong> Holidays; the other side
will be used during the rest of the year.
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