Jewish people are often called Am ha-Sefer, “The People of the Book”. This term emphasizes the importance of text in Judaism, with Torah being the most sacred of them all. The Torah scroll is the holiest and most valued object in Judaism. Writing a Torah scroll is a holy task that requires knowledge, dedication and a specific set of skills.

Temple Emanuel hosted a scribe, Rabbi Moshe Druin, who took them all on an amazing journey of rediscovering the beauty of their Torah scrolls. He spent time with Religious School students and parents offering a very informative yet engaging talk about the scrolls. Later that day, the synagogue’s faculty held a professional development
program with Rabbi Druin. This inspirational and truly elevating workshop not only gavethe synagogue a rare opportunity to learn from one of the best professionals in the field, but also improved their knowledge and abilities as educators to make this topic alive and appealing to their students.

“I really enjoyed having Rabbi Druin at Temple Emanuel. He provided complicated information in a very accessible way, making it fun for adults and kids alike. My highlight would be learning about the differences between the Torah fonts and how they can be used to locate the scroll’s place of origin. Rabbi Druin even taught us something new about our Holocaust scroll, showing the teachers how it mixed certain elements of Sephardic and Ashkenazic traditions in a now-forgotten stylization of the letters. I’m glad we were given this opportunity, and I hope that the future will bring more like it.” — Sam F.

This professional development grant for Jewish educators was made possible thanks to the Judith A. Kaye Fund for Improving Jewish Education through Teacher Training and the Community Education Funds.