Writing A Torah
When the members of
Congregation Shaarey Zedek
decided to write a Sefer Torah, they
had to look for a special person to
do it. On Nov. 13 they will complete
the task and Rabbi Joseph Lang,
sofer STaM (for Sefer Torah, Tefillin
and Mezuzah) of Oak Park will
assist them.
The Shaarey Zedek families will
participate in an important mitzvah
on that day. In accordance with
Jewish law, every Jew should write
a Torah in his lifetime, (Deuteronomy
31:19). According to Dorothy
Wagner, one of the chairmen for
this project, writing this Torah was
undertaken, "as a gift of this
generation to our children. It was a
chance for families to create a
Role Of The Sofer
special connection to the Torah that
will be read every Saturday morning
at Shaarey Zedek."
Writing a Torah is not a simple
task and not just anybody can write
a Torah. The craftsman, or sofer,
who writes it is considered a special
person. He must learn a
tremendous amount about the rules
and rituals that go into writing such
an important book. The tools and
materials used by the sofer are
parchment, quill, ink, stylus, ruler
and Tikkun (guide), a book with the
Torah text.
Each one of these items has
exact specifications. For instance,
the parchment is made from
specified sections of the hide of a
kosher animal. The quill is generally
a turkey feather. The ink must be
black and durable and of high
quality, but not indelible. The
sections of the Torah are sewn
together with a special thread made
of tendon tissue taken from the foot
muscles of a kosher animal.
How does one learn to be a
sofer? According to Rabbi Mark
Cohen, regional director of National
Council of Synagogue Youth, he
must practice, and learn from other
soferim. In many cases it is an art
that is passed down from father to
son.
Not all of the Shaarey Zedek
families have learned the art of
writing a Torah. Instead, according
to custom, Rabbi Lang will assist
each family in filling in selected
letters in passages in the Torah
where the letters have only been
outlined. Each family will stand with
the sofer and touch his quill as he
completes the letters. This process
will go on all day long at Shaarey
Zedek and culminate in a Siyum
haTorah celebration.
The Siyum haTorah is a
dedication and is much like a
wedding celebration. The completed
Torah will be carried under a
wedding canopy to the sanctuary,
showing that the Torah is like a
wedding contract that joins the Holy
One and the Jewish people. It will
be followed with dancing and a
celebration.
Detroit Has Many Jewish Libraries
Many local synagogues, cultural and educational institutions have libraries available to the Jewish community.
Following is a partial listing of the libraries, their hours of operation and approximate number of volumes contained therein:
Bais Chabad of
Farmington Hills
32000 Middlebelt
Farmington Hills 48018
737-7000
Hours: Monday-Friday, 9 a.m.-5 p.m.
200 volumes
Bais Chabad of
West Bloomfield
5595 W. Maple
West Bloomfield 48033
Beth Jacob-Mogain Abraham
15751 W. Lincoln
Southfield 48075
557-6750
Young Israel of Greenfield
15140 W. 10 Mile
Oak Park 48237
967-3655
Hours: Monday-Thursday, 12:30-4
p.m., Friday, 8:30 a.m.-noon
B'nai David
24350 Southfield
Southfield 48075
557-8210
Hours: Monday, 11 a.m.-4 p.m.
Adat Shalom Synagogue
29901 Middlebelt
Farmington Hills 48018
851-5100
Hours: Monday-Thursday, 3-6 p.m.;
Sunday, 10 a.m.-1 p.m.
14,000 volumes
Beth Abraham Hillel Moses
5075 W. Maple
West Bloomfield 48033
851-6880
Hours: Tuesday-Thursday, 3:30-6
p.m.; Sunday, 9:30 a.m.-noon
3,200 volumes
Beth Achim
21100 W. 12 Mile
Southfield 48076
352-8670
L 8
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FRIDAY, OCTOBER 28, 1988
Hours: Tuesday-Thursday, 2-6 p.m.;
Wednesday, 9 a.m.-noon; Sunday,
10 a.m.-1 p.m.
12,000 volumes
Beth Shalom
14601 Lincoln
Oak Park 48237
547-7970
Hours: Monday, Wednesday,
2:30-5:45 p.m.; Sunday, 9 a.m.-noon
8,000 volumes
B'nai Moshe
14390 W. 10 Mile
Oak Park 48237
548-9000
Hours:- Sunday, 9 a.m.-1 p.m.
Shaarey Zedek
27375 Bell Road
Southfield 48034
357-5544
Hours: Monday, 11 a.m.-7;30 p.m.;
Tuesday and Thursday, 11 a.m.-3
p.m.; Wednesday, 11 a.m.-6 p.m.;
Sunday, 9 a.m.-1 p.m.
25,000 volumes
Temple Beth El
7400 Telegraph
Birmingham 48010
851-1100
Hours: Monday and Wednesday, 1-5
p.m.; Tuesday and Thursday, 1-6
p.m.; Saturday and Sunday, 9
a.m.-noon
12,000 volumes
Temple Emanu-El
14450 W. 10 Mile
Oak Park 48237
967-4020
Hours: Monday through Friday, 9
a.m.-5 p.m.; Sunday, 9 a.m.-1 p.m.
Temple Kol Ami
5085 Walnut Lake
West Bloomfield 48033
661-0040
Hours: Monday through Friday, 9:30
a.m.-5 p.m.
Birmingham Temple
28611 W. 12 Mile
Farmington Hills 48018
477-1410
Hours: Monday through Friday, 10
a.m.-5:30 p.m.
Akiva Hebrew Day School
27700 Southfield
Lathrup Village 48076
552-9690
Hours: Monday, Wednesday,
Thursday, Friday, 9 a.m.-2 p.m.
Hillel Day School
32200 Middlebelt
Farmington Hills 48018
851-2394
Hours: Monday through Friday, 8:30
a.m.-1 p.m.
Jewish Parents Institute
Jewish Community Center
6600 W. Maple
West Bloomfield 48322
661-1000
Hours: Monday through Thursday,
10 a.m.-4:30 p.m.; 10 a.m.-3 p.m.
Friday; 10 a.m.-1 p.m. Sunday
Kollel Institute of
Advanced Learning
15230 W. Lincoln
Oak Park 48237
968-0764
Hours: Sunday through Thursday, 7
a.m.-12:45 p.m., 2:30-6:30 p.m. and
8:30-11 p.m.; Friday, 7-10:30 a.m.
Machon L'Torah
15221 W. 10 Mile
Oak Park 48237
967-0887, 967-0888
Hours: Monday through Thursday, 9
a.m.-5 p.m.; Sunday, 2-4 p.m.
United Hebrew Schools
21550 W. 12 Mile
Southfield 48076
354-1050
Hours: Thursday and Sunday, 10
a.m.-2 p.m.
Yeshivath Beth Yehudah
15751 Lincoln
Southfield 48075
557-6750
Hours: 9 a.m.-noon (opening soon)
B'nai B'rith
Youth Organization
6600 W. Maple
West Bloomfield 48322
788-0700
Hours: Monday through Thursday,
9:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m.; Friday, 9:30
a.m.-4:30 p.m.
Holocaust Memorial Center,
Emma Schaver Library/Archives
6602 W. Maple
West Bloomfield 48322
661-0840
Hours: Sunday through Thursday,-
10 a.m.-5:30 p.m.; Wednesday, 10
a.m.-7:30 p.m.
13,000 volumes
Jewish Community Center
Henry and Delia Meyers
Memorial Library
6600 W. Maple
West Bloomfield 48322
661-1000
Hours; Monday through Thursday, 9
a.m.-3 p.m.; Sunday, 9 a.m.-1 p.m.
Midrasha College of
Jewish Studies
21550 W. 12 Mile
Southfield 48076
352-7117
Hours: Thursday and Sunday, 10
a.m.-2 p.m.
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