[NFBJ] Scribes interested in learning about blindness

Tue Aug 18 16:06:05 UTC 2026

Oh my goodness! I love this. I actually just learned of a very simple way to set up a foundation to give grants that has been very affective in Philadelphia. The gentleman is getting me more information about how they went about it.

-Rachael Everhart Hudson (She/Her)
 267-268-5780
"Do the hard things while they are still easy... The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step."  -Lao Tzu
________________________________
From: Stewart Prost <sprost82 at gmail.com>
Sent: Tuesday, 18 August 2026 12:02:59
To: Rachael D Hudson <hudson.rachaeld at gmail.com>
Cc: NFB in Judaism <nfbj at nfbnet.org>
Subject: Re: [NFBJ] Scribes interested in learning about blindness

Greetings all,
I want to start out by thanking Rachael Hudson for starting out this discussion.  The kind of discussions like this is the reason why we need this group!  I want to expand the number of meetings we have beyond our annual meeting at our national convention.  Based on this email thread and our meeting, I have the following ideas for programs:

  *   Discussion of blind and low vision persons reading Torah featuring the Scribes that Rachael is talking about and Rabbi Lenny Sarko.
  *   Presentation from CSB Cares about their services
  *   A Torah Study related to sections that feature blind or low vision people
  *   Rabbi Michael Levy has spoken to me about the creation of some sort of foundation or endowment to raise funds and issue grants to Jewish organizations to promote accessibility of Jewish programs and services
  *   Other ideas?  Let me know either on this list or contact me directly.

I have been doing consulting work and traveling during the last month.  Now that I have some time, I will post the Zoom Recording of our meeting last month.  I also plan to write an article for the Braille Monitor.  I believe and hope that all of you who attended the meeting found it interesting.  My contact information appears below this message.  I look forward to all of your input!

On Tue, Aug 18, 2026 at 11:14 AM Rachael D Hudson <hudson.rachaeld at gmail.com<mailto:hudson.rachaeld at gmail.com>> wrote:
Wonderful! I will share this with the gentleman in question.  As soon as my friend from Minnesota told me about them wanting to connect with blind Jews I was very excited. I knew you would be able to put something really wonderful together with them. And I think they definitely would love to have Jews from Israel involved!

Thank you so much!  I feel this would be a very wonderful and enlightening discussion as well. I always love hearing multiple perspectives on any topic!

-Rachael Everhart Hudson (She/Her)
 267-268-5780
"Do the hard things while they are still easy... The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step."  -Lao Tzu
________________________________
From: Stewart Prost <sprost82 at gmail.com<mailto:sprost82 at gmail.com>>
Sent: Tuesday, 18 August 2026 11:08:27
To: NFB in Judaism <nfbj at nfbnet.org<mailto:nfbj at nfbnet.org>>
Cc: Rachael D Hudson <hudson.rachaeld at gmail.com<mailto:hudson.rachaeld at gmail.com>>
Subject: Re: [NFBJ] Scribes interested in learning about blindness

Rachael,
I think that through our group, I can set up a meeting via Zoom.  I agree that we should plan this after all the holidays.  Our group meetings have usually taken place on a Sunday afternoon so that people from Israel could join us.  However, this can take place any evening Sunday-Thursday.  You could either share my contact information with the Scribes or give me their contact information.  My phone is 757-572-6891.  I think we have a good program here if we include Rabbi Sarko.  (He states that his scrolls are made according to Halacha.  I think we have a good discussion here.

On Tue, Aug 18, 2026 at 10:48 AM Rachael D Hudson via NFBJ <nfbj at nfbnet.org<mailto:nfbj at nfbnet.org>> wrote:
I’m sure they would love to speak with you, sir!  You are another person I was hoping would weigh in here.  I will ask the contact I have if I can email you his phone number. This is the only contact I have for him. It is a mobile number that I text.

-Rachael Everhart Hudson (She/Her)
 267-268-5780
"Do the hard things while they are still easy... The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step."  -Lao Tzu
________________________________
From: NFBJ <nfbj-bounces at nfbnet.org<mailto:nfbj-bounces at nfbnet.org>> on behalf of mlevy--- via NFBJ <nfbj at nfbnet.org<mailto:nfbj at nfbnet.org>>
Sent: Tuesday, 18 August 2026 10:41:37
To: NFB in Judaism <nfbj at nfbnet.org<mailto:nfbj at nfbnet.org>>
Cc: mlevy at verse-onality.com<mailto:mlevy at verse-onality.com> <mlevy at verse-onality.com<mailto:mlevy at verse-onality.com>>
Subject: Re: [NFBJ] Scribes interested in learning about blindness

Can I contact "these gentlemen" on my own?

Thank you.

-----Original Message-----
From: NFBJ <nfbj-bounces at nfbnet.org<mailto:nfbj-bounces at nfbnet.org>> On Behalf Of Rachael D Hudson via NFBJ
Sent: Tuesday, August 18, 2026 10:19 AM
To: Daveed Mandell <daveedmandell at gmail.com<mailto:daveedmandell at gmail.com>>; in Judaism NFB <nfbj at nfbnet.org<mailto:nfbj at nfbnet.org>>
Cc: Rachael D Hudson <hudson.rachaeld at gmail.com<mailto:hudson.rachaeld at gmail.com>>; nfbj at nfbnet.org<mailto:nfbj at nfbnet.org>
Subject: Re: [NFBJ] Scribes interested in learning about blindness

good morning,
It’s very interesting to me as well.  I personally like Rabbi Lenny‘s approach using just the braille itself..  I will definitely be wanting to ask these gentlemen questions of my own…

For instance, we don’t touch the Taurus role because we don’t want to smudge the letters – especially the Divine name!  G-D forbid!  So I’m very curious about their plans and look forward to learning more from them.  I also greatly value Rabbi Lenny Sarko’s input on this discussion and on any meeting we might schedule with the group here.

-Rachael Everhart Hudson (She/Her)
 267-268-5780
"Do the hard things while they are still easy... The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step."  -Lao Tzu ________________________________
From: Daveed Mandell <daveedmandell at gmail.com<mailto:daveedmandell at gmail.com>>
Sent: Tuesday, 18 August 2026 10:13:08
To: in Judaism NFB <nfbj at nfbnet.org<mailto:nfbj at nfbnet.org>>
Cc: Rachael D Hudson <hudson.rachaeld at gmail.com<mailto:hudson.rachaeld at gmail.com>>; nfbj at nfbnet.org<mailto:nfbj at nfbnet.org> <nfbj at nfbnet.org<mailto:nfbj at nfbnet.org>>
Subject: Re: [NFBJ] Scribes interested in learning about blindness

Shalom:

This is very exciting! Torah reading is something I have longed to do all my life. I was just recently thinking about a Torah with both print and Braille. Wouldn't that be something? By the way, does anyone have information on Braille trope signs for both Torah and Haftarah chanting?

Kol tuv,

Daveed

Sent from my iPhone

On Aug 17, 2026, at 4:32 PM, Rachael D Hudson via NFBJ <nfbj at nfbnet.org<mailto:nfbj at nfbnet.org>> wrote:

Shalom y’all,
A friend recently met a group of scribes at a maker space in Minnesota. He connected them with me in the hopes that I could pass them on to this group to help begin facilitating conversation.   It’s my understanding that these are orthodox or ultra orthodox scribes who are inspired by Rabbi Lenny‘s approach to a braille Torres scroll, but want to create something with the traditionally prescribed in and so on.  It is their hope that we can also perhaps put together a call in which they can learn from users of Hebrew Braille… Obviously, sometime after the high holidays.

I agreed to send their message (below)

A new project is exploring the creation of sacred Jewish texts that combine traditional handwritten Hebrew with Hebrew Braille, beginning with a prototype Megillat Esther and working towards a complete, kosher Torah scroll with Braille. The goal is to make communal ritual texts more accessible to blind Jews while preserving the rigorous requirements of Jewish scribal tradition. The project is feedback and suggestions from the blind community to help shape the work, which is being developed through the Kedusha Project: www.thekedushaproject.org<http://www.thekedushaproject.org><http://www.thekedushaproject.org><http://www.thekedushaproject.org<http://www.thekedushaproject.org>><http://www.thekedushaproject.org<http://www.thekedushaproject.org><http://www.thekedushaproject.org<http://www.thekedushaproject.org>>>

-Rachael Everhart Hudson (She/Her)
267-268-5780
"Do the hard things while they are still easy... The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step."  -Lao Tzu _______________________________________________
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--
Stewart Prost, Chair, NFB in Judaism
Phone: 757-572-6891
Fax: 757-210-7504
Email: sprost82 at gmail.com<mailto:sprost82 at gmail.com>

--
Stewart Prost
Phone: 757-572-6891
Fax: 757-210-7504
Email: sprost82 at gmail.com<mailto:sprost82 at gmail.com>