Soferet (film)

Soferet: A Special Scribe

Aviel Barclay writing a Torah scroll
Directed by Donna and Daniel Zuckerbrot
Produced by Donna and Daniel Zuckerbrot
Release dates
  • May 2006 (2006-05)
Running time
 48 min.
Country United States
Language English

Soferet: A Special Scribe is a 2005 television documentary about Aviel Barclay, who studied to become a sofer, which is a traditionally male position transcribing Jewish Hebrew texts. The documentary explains how she became the world’s first known traditionally trained female scribe in October 2003.[1][2] The film explores the importance of the Torah in Jewish life, the perfection required to execute a kosher Torah scroll, and a feminist perspective on the battle waged by some Jewish women to assume responsibilities traditionally reserved for men.

Summary

Barclay was born into a Christian family in Prince George, Canada.[3] As a girl, she enjoyed calligraphy and taught herself the letters of the Hebrew alphabet by the age of 10.[3] She converted to Judaism as an adult and joined the Orthodox Jewish community.[3] The film chronicles Aviel Barclay studying to become a sofer (Jewish scribe) in Orthodox Judaism.

See also

References

  1. ↑ http://jwablog.jwa.org/soferet
  2. ↑ Lowenstein, Alice (June 3, 2005). "A Female Scribe's Trailblazing Effort". The Forward.
  3. 1 2 3 "Soferet [videorecording]: A special scribe". University of Toronto Libraries. Retrieved 15 December 2015.
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