Turn the Torah and turn it again,
for all things are in it.

Ethics of the Fathers 5:22


What is the Torah?  Where did it come from?  How is a Torah scroll made?  What happens if a sofer makes a mistake while writing a Torah?

Do you have a question about the Torah?  Our sofer in residence, Neil Yerman, has the answer.  Write your question in the space below and you’ll receive a personal answer as soon as possible.

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Meet the Sofer

Neil Yerman is a sofer—a person who writes and restores Torah scrolls.  In English, the Hebrew word sofer is translated as “scribe.”  To become a sofer, a Jewish person must master the art of Hebrew calligraphy, document restoration, and the many rules and traditions governing the writing and restoring of a Torah.  In addition, a sofer must lead a religious life.

Sofer Yerman is also an artist who specializes in creating one-of-a-kind illustrated documents for life cycle events like weddings, bar and bat mitzvahs, and baby namings.  He lives in New York City.
 

Meet The Torah

The Hebrew word Torah has the combined meaning of both “guidance” and “instruction” and is sometimes defined as “Teaching.”  Most commonly Torah refers to the first five books of the Hebrew Bible, and it is known as the “Five Books of Moses.”

 

For more information about the Torah, click here.

Read a special interview “Speaking with Neil Yerman.”

Also visit Neil’s Web site at neilyerman.com.

 

Add this to your bookshelf . . .
In The Image of God: A Feminist Commentary on the Torah
by Judith S. Antonelli
For information and purchase options click here.

The Jewish Appleseed Foundation, Inc., a not-for-profit organization, has a mission of liberal Jewish outreach to Jews and non-Jews who are interested in learning more about Judaism.

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This page is donated in appreciation of The Academy for Jewish Religion, New York.

© Jewish Appleseed Foundation, Inc. 1998