ST MARGARET'S SCHOOL
Victoria, BC
Graduated: 1986
Student status: Alumni
Degree: High School Diploma
Major: Arts, History
Clubs: Debate team, Latin club, track & field, House Captain
See the documentary film of my life story, <a href="http://www.visiontv.ca/Programs/documentaries_soferet.html">"Soferet: a Special Scribe"</a>, re-airing in April on Vision TV. Also check out the Studio 4 site for my September 2004 inte
Check out my web site, <a href="http://www.soferet.com">Soferet.com</a>; & my blog,<a href="http://soferet.blogspot.com">Netivat Sofrut</a>; for images of my religious & secular art work.
Jewish Orthodox Feminist As the only living certified Soferet (female Jewish ritual scribe) & the first woman to practice sofrut (creation of sacred Hebrew texts) in over 200 years, I feel an obligation to blog about my experiences of The Work. I offer you my profile & journey.
Drunk on Judaism I strive to be a radical figure in an orthodox tradition while exemplifying the orthodox tradition and so dismantling both the liberal feminist model of "working within the system" meaning "adopting a male gender role" and the radical feminist model of "damn it all, I'm going to worship a tree".
Holy Letters My fascination with the art of calligraphy stems mainly from my love of the Hebrew Alefbet and my desire to use it as a way to serve G@d and the world. As a Jewish artist, I work with an awareness and respect for Torah, poetry, visual art, and the discipline of lettering. Browse my Flickr page...
Art The ability to create, to bring ideas, images and materials to interact cohesively and take form as a whole, is a privilege as well as another opportunity to emulate and thereby draw closer to G@d. This bridges the gap between conception and experience. I take great pride and pleasure in finding new ways to express our traditions through my work and in giving shape to an author's words and spirit while adding my own personal vision.
Expansion I am also currently researching the foundation of a lost tradtion of women practicing this holy craft. I am now available to engage with students, male or female, wishing to enter into the preliminary stage of learning sofrut. You are welcome to join me on this path.
For more on the services I provide, check Soferet.com, my blog Netivat Sofrut, or my online Sofrut college.
Messiah Bring it on. Musar. Chasidut. Mesorah. Halakhah. Midrash. Nevi'ut. Magidut.
Love "Tzedeq, tzedeq tir'dof - Justice, justice you shall pursue." Devarim/Deuteronomy 16:20.
Who I'd like to meet: Jews. Hebrews. Israelites. Gerim Toshavim. Funny folks. Canadians. & An agent. I require the assistance of an agent to manage my public relations & keep up with booking & arranging my speaking, teaching, radio & TV engagements so I can better continue to focus on my sofrut work. Percentage on the back-end only.
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Hag Sameaj Hannukah!
G-d gave to Moses, when He had finished speaking with him upon Mount Sinai, the two tablets of the testimony, tablets of stone, written with the finger of G-d. (Exodus 31:18)
For forty days and nights, Moses labored to absorb the Torah. Even he did not find this task easy, for he could not retain what he had learned. The Sages say he studied and then forgot. At the end of this period, the Midrash continues, G-d gave Moshe the Torah as a present. (Exodus 31:18) Forty days were needed for Moses’ mind to become separated from the material world. During this period he ate no food, but was nourished with "the bread of the mighty," a spiritual sustenance that also nurtured the angels. But even on the thirty-ninth day, Moses was still not free from physical connections, and consequently he still forgot his learning. By the end of forty days, however, his mind was akin to an angel's; there was no need for him to listen and learn, for he grasped every concept even before it had been explained.
Shalom
Yaffa
We hope you are all feeling well and have a restfull Shabat'
YO! YO! what uuuuup. Avielah be chillin, she quillin'. She be writin' never fightin'. She down for anyting', like eatin' tings', yummy. ANd she be funny. Y'all better rekognize! She be sizzlin' like fireflies!! word.
I love Chanukah however all the latkes and all the dreidel playing can become pretty frivolous, and perhaps we celebrate Chanukah as if it is just another excuse for a party. So I asked our Rabbi last week a question, "How should a Jew ignite genuine joy in his life"? He said, "Thank G-d that He gave us the TORAH that guides us how to live our lives according to the will of G-d."
My point is this.Please take thirty seconds to look at the Chanukah candles that you light this year and think of ALL the blessing and good you have in your life, due to your connection to TORAH
...you have been selected for the top 24 friends feature page on my BIz showcase site(see profile)..todays theme is dedicated to trying something new.."Blend the old with the new" ( see blog)
I was thinking about this over the weekend as I watched my neighbor say something rude regarding another neighbor. I felt so badly I wanted to share this with you.
There is a fundamental Jewish law: It is forbidden to say anything negative about anyone. Negative speech is called "Loshon Hara."
The Chafetz Chaim, the great Polish rabbi of pre-war Europe, made a major breakthrough when he codified all the Talmudic literature relating to negative speech.
Today, with gossip as a driving force in mass media, the Jewish community has seen an explosion of interest in the topic of Loshon Hara. And now, the Chafetz Chaim's writings are part of a major worldwide movement of books, tapes, and study groups - all devoted to eliminating negative speech from our lives.
Ahavah,
Yaffa
We may choose to live as Jews, visibly and vitally, or else slip anonymously into the mainstream. Do you know that Judaism has the responsibility of bringing Peace to the world?? This is what it is to be a Jew.
Yaffa
I'm sorry someone has to be so rude and post those images on your page. It doesn't appear to be in your comment section. I think someone got into your account and messed with the html. Good luck trying to get rid of them.
