How It's Made: Torah Scroll (Janua Linguarum. Series Practica, 236) - Hardcover

Ofanansky, Allison

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1681155168 ISBN 13: 9781681155166

Publisher: Apples & Honey Press, 2016

Synopsis

Visit the people who make Torah scrolls and decorations. Find out how parchment is scraped and stretched, how tree sap becomes ink, how a computer program checks for mistakes, and why people spend so much time and care making Torah scrolls by hand.

More than 100 full-color photographs and interviews give a fascinating behind-the-scenes look at scribes, artists, and craftsmen in their workshops in Israel and the US.

The Do It Yourself feature helps kids write with a feather quill pen just like a scribe, make ink from berries, make a clay yad (a pointer), and design a Torah scroll cover.

About this title

About the Author:

Allison Ofanansky is an author and editor who won the National Jewish Book Award for her picture book, The Patchwork Torah.

Eliyahu Alpern's stunning photography appears in many picture books about the Jewish holidays and Israel.

Review:

Learn the many specific steps necessary to create a Torah.The Torah is 'the holiest text of the Jewish people.' The words written on the Torah scroll are commandments for living and stories of creation. They have been preserved and revered for countless generations. In this copiously illustrated book, the author and photographer provide step-by-step directions for making a Torah scroll, from preparing the parchment and ink to writing the words and decorating covers. Ofanansky frequently engages readers in the process by asking questions such as 'What tradition do YOU like to keep?' and also includes interactive features, such as matching the correct answers in columns. There are many factoids, as in '304,805 / The number of letters in a Torah scroll,' as well as quotations from those engaged in the process. Readers can also learn how to make a yad, or pointer, used when reading from the text. There is a strong sense of community and modernity as men and women and girls and boys all work together for this very special creation. While those who attend Jewish services will likely find this the most attention-grabbing, this is still pertinent to readers interested in religious studies. (Informational picture book. 6-10) --Kirkus Reviews

Impressive use of white space and typography, along with colorful photographs and kid-friendly information, provide curious children (and adults) easy access to important information about how Torah scrolls are made. Children may be surprised to learn how many rules are involved, and how these regulations have not changed for thousands of years. Not a single letter has been changed, the author writes. Many of the same materials are used now as in ancient times. ... But some things are done differently. The major difference that is highlighted in some photos is the depiction of women scribes and rabbis. Other interesting photos show traditional Jewish scribes etching lines with a tool, making quills from feathers and ink from gallnuts and tree sap, stretching cow skin on a frame, and even erasing the rare mistake. Instructions for making quills, ink and a yad to read with are attractively highlighted in the sidebars. Families will be better informed for Simchat Torah and throughout the year after reading this book together. --The Jewish Journal

Ofanansky details the creation of a Torah scroll a handwritten parchment copy of the Five Books of
Moses that is lettered in Hebrew, stored in a special cabinet, and read by Jews on special occasions. She
describes the preparations and duties of sofers (scribes), who must copy this document perfectly. She also
comments on letter styles, quill pens, and required inks; explains how mistakes are fixed; and specifies the
steps in assembling a completed Torah. Interspersed throughout are Do It Yourself sidebars that provide
directions for making quill pens and ink, shaping a clay yad (Torah pointer), and designing a Torah cover.
Numerous well-chosen full-color photographs clarify these exacting processes, and the use of questions as
section titles invites reader participation with the text. Although one segment assumes readers can correctly distinguish differences between Torahs and Hebrew Bibles (probably a stretch), this unique offering fills a need and will be welcomed by religious schools and collections. --Kay Weisman, Booklist, American Library Association

About this edition

• Publisher: Apples & Honey Press
• Publication date: 2016
• ISBN 10: 1681155168
• ISBN 13: 9781681155166
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 32
• Illustrator: Alpern Eliyahu