Be Part of This Once-In-A-Lifetime Opportunity

Be part of this unique Torah Project that includes approximately 16 months of Torah learning activities and scribing opportunities for our Temple Emanu-El congregants and greater Westfield community. We are honored to have Linda Coppleson, one of the first female Torah scribes, guiding us and helping us fulfill the last of the 613 commandments – the writing of a Torah.

What is a Sefer Torah

The Hebrew words Sefer Torah literally mean “Book of the Torah” and refers to the Torah scroll with the five books of Moses (Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy). A Torah is made up of specially prepared parchment sheets, from the skins of a kosher animal. It is written by a scribe (sofer/soferet) who is specially trained to write according to very specific rules. The sofer/soferet writes the Torah by hand using specially prepared ink and a turkey feather quill.

It is what we read from every Shabbat morning, at B’nai Mitzvah services, on Rosh Chodesh (the start of each Hebrew month), Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, Passover, Shavuot, Sukkot, Shemini Atzeret, and Simchat Torah.

The last commandment of the Torah is to write one’s own Sefer Torah.

On Shabbat Mornings, our synagogue community prays from four different Torahs. Our Torahs are utilized during multiple B’nai Mitzvot, Simchat Shabbat services, Saturday morning minyans, as well as the Tiny Tot Shabbat Program. Unfortunately, in our Torah collection, some Torahs are difficult to read from while others are cumbersome to raise and carry. The need for a new Torah is apparent. Our new lighter and easier to read Torah will be a wonderful and welcome edition for our entire congregation and will be an integral part of countless future occasions.

What will make it even more special is that it will be created by all of us here in the Temple Emanu-El community.

A new Sefer Torah will represent our Temple Emanu-El’s commitment to the future. To write a Torah is to perform one of the most holy acts – the 613th commandment that all Jews should, at some time in their lives, take part in. In the Torah, we are commanded to “write for yourself this song…” We understand this as the commandment, the mitzvah to write or participate in the writing of a Sefer Torah.

As TEE embarks on this exciting Torah Project we will write a new Torah, affirming our past and inscribing our future. Our Temple Emanu-El Torah Project will give members of our community the unique opportunity to be involved in the creation of our Torah by dedicating a parsha, special passage, letter, word and more. Meaningful opportunities can include a Bar/Bat Mitzvah parsha, a Hebrew name of a child or grandchild, a favorite holiday, or an especially significant passage. With your dedication, your family will have the opportunity to hold the wrist or shoulder of the Soferet or scribe, as she helps us fulfill the 613th commandment.

We hope you will join us in writing our Torah, letter by letter, so that we can share our story with future generations.

Linda Coppleson

Linda’s studies as a Soferet Sta’M* [Sefer Torah, tefillin, and mezuzot] began in 2003, when artist and Sofer, Eric Ray, z”l, agreed to teach her. Linda worked and learned under his guidance for approximately two years, and later studied Halacha (Jewish law) of safrut with Jen Taylor Friedman. In addition, she worked in the studio of Sofer Neil Yerman, learning to repair and restore Torah scrolls.

After several years, and many hours of practice, Linda was accepted to participate in the Women’s Torah Project, writing 20 out of 62 pages of a Torah that now lives in Seattle, WA. It is the first Torah in history written by a group of Sofrot ( female scribes). Since then, Linda has written sifrei Torah on her own, and has completed the writing of a seventh Torah for Congregation Ohr Shalom in Summit, NJ. This new scroll for Temple Emanu-El will be Linda’s eighth Torah.

Linda’s role as a Soferet extends beyond writing to include teaching about the art and skill of the Sofer while embracing and including congregants in the process. Scribing letters and words with participants and delivering divrei Torah about “their spot” in the scroll has become a favorite part of creating a Torah. Linda’s experience has taught her that “for many people being physically close to a Torah scroll as it is being written, seeing the letters and words emerge from the quill and appear on the parchment, is to feel the inexorable pull of history and tradition and elicit that elusive sense of belonging and connection to Jews and Judaism.” Coppleson never tires of witnessing that emotional response.

In addition to writing Torah, megillot and mezuzot, Linda repairs and restores sifrei Torah. She is retired from a twenty-five-year career teaching Tanach (Bible), Rabbinics and Jewish History, but continues to teach in her role as a Soferet. She also writes and illuminates ketubot and creates life cycle art pieces.

Linda graduated from Brandeis University with a BA in Near Eastern and Judaic Studies, and earned an MA in Hebrew Culture and Education from New York University.

We want everyone to be able to participate in the Torah Project! Sponsorships range from $36 for a letter up to $10,000 for the Book of Genesis. A sponsorship at any level gives you an opportunity to scribe by holding the wrist or shoulder of the Soferet, as she helps us fulfill the 613th commandment – the writing of a Torah. Please choose a dedication that is meaningful to you.

Genesis: $10,000
Other Books: $5,000 apiece
Special Heart of the Torah Passages: $3,600
Holiday: $1,800
Weekly Parsha: $1,080
Special Section (Specific Torah verses of note): $720
Parsha Chapter: $540
Unique Dedication (Torah verse specific to profession, hobby, etc.): $360
Name: $180
Word: $54
Letter: $36

The button below will bring you to full descriptions of each level of sponsorship.

Torah Learning and Writing Opportunities (additional opportunities pending)

Wednesday, March 29, 2023 6:30 PM – 8 PM (YLE-Nisayon)
Tuesday, April 18, 2023 Yom HaShoah 7:30 PM – 9 PM (HaMakom)
Friday, May 19, 2023 Time TBD (ECE)
Monday, October 9, 2023 Time TBD (ECE)
Tuesday, December 12, 2023 Chanukah Celebration/Partial Torah Dedication

Scribing Sessions – Additional scribing sessions will be added for members who have contributed to Temple Emanu-El’s Torah Project.

March 2024 – Temple Emanu-El’s Torah Project will conclude with a Siyyum (Celebration) to mark the completion of the writing of our Torah scroll. This Siyyum will include a procession with the new Torah, music, words of dedication, our Soferet filling in the final letters in the scroll, and festive foods. Date and time TBD. We hope you will all celebrate with us!

Check back here to see a sample of the Columns as Linda Coppleson completes them.

March 3, 2023

Here is the column Linda completed on Friday – column 56. Only 4 more columns until Bereishit (the longest book in the Torah) is completed.

Linda shared: This is the very emotional story of Yosef as he is reunited with his brothers and his father. I cry every time I read or write how they embraced and “fell on each others necks”!

January 5, 2023

The beginning of Parashat Chaye Sarah. Abraham purchases the cave of Machpelah to bury Sarah. 6 pages completed. Only 56 more pages to go!

December 13, 2022

In column 9 is God’s rainbow 🌈 – the promise that there would never be another flood to destroy the world.

December 2, 2022:

Next 3 columns – 4, 5 and 6. Beginning of Parashat Noah in column 6

November 28, 2022:

November 22, 2022:

The first column is now complete!

November 20, 2022:

Linda Coppleson, our Soferet, wrote the first word of The Book of Genesis (בראשׁית) during the kick-off of our Torah Project on Sunday, November 20, 2022.

Select your Dedication Now

Torah Project Pledge Form

Pledge Descriptions

Torah Project Scribing Opportunity

With your sponsorship of the Torah Project you have a once-in-a-generation opportunity to sit with a Soferet (scribe) and write in the Torah. Meaningful sponsorship may include a particular part of the Torah like a Bar/Bat Mitzvah parsha, a Hebrew name of a child or grandchild, a favorite holiday, a letter, a word, an especially significant passage, or even a book. Your family has the opportunity to hold the wrist or shoulder of the Soferet, as she helps us fulfill the 613th commandment – the writing of a Torah.

To support this project and/or participate in a future scribing event, please consider a sponsorship level that is right for you.