[NFBJ] Scribes interested in learning about blindness

Wed Aug 19 03:30:36 UTC 2026

Something else that I thought of, the Tober would have to be so big and heavy to be in both braille and Hebrew. Would it all fit on one scroll or would it have to be multiple scrolls. Also, because of the extra weight of the tour since it would have to be so large, who could actually lift the Torah up while uncovering three portions of the Torah before sitting down and it gets rolled up and covered. For the.  Gabbai to point to each word with the Yod, he would have to be able to read the Hebrew braille by  sight. That also would not be an easy task. I’m sure I will think of more things, still an interesting concept. The race in Florida I do know that Jewish braille Institute would be the first place I would contact to see if they have a copy, in book form, in braille.

Sent from my iPhone

> On Aug 18, 2026, at 1:07 PM, Rachael D Hudson via NFBJ <nfbj at nfbnet.org> wrote:
> 
> This is something that I wrestle with a lot.  Thus far, I have simply made peace within myself with the concept of להבדיל
> I make that separation between the level of participation I have in the secular ordinary world versus what I have in sacred Spaces.  I make the same distinction in the level of and also the manner of advocacy that I use in secular Spaces versus sacred Spaces.
> 
> I don’t love that solution.  But then, I still don’t love the idea of not eating chicken and cheese together because I didn’t grow up separating the two.  I chalk it up to. “some mitzvot we perform without having to know why and this helps us except moments when life doesn’t make sense”. It gives my brain that imperfect “why“ that it wants.
> 
> And they may come a time, hopefully soon, when we have answers that please us more   כן יהי רצון
> 
> -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>
> Sent: Tuesday, 18 August 2026 12:38:05
> To: hudson.rachaeld at gmail.com <hudson.rachaeld at gmail.com>
> Cc: nfbj at nfbnet.org <nfbj at nfbnet.org>
> Subject: Re: [NFBJ] Scribes interested in learning about blindness
> 
> Shalom:
> 
> I agree with you, Rachel. I prefer a Braille only Torah scroll. I think that as blind people, we need to reach out to all Halachic authorities throughout the Jewish world. I think some things need to be changed.
> 
> I'm sure you know that some Orthodox Jews are now riding scooters to synagogue. You might have also heard that there are Orthodox Rabbis who have come out as gay. You probably know that for reasons of Pikuach Nefesh,
> Orthodox Jewish diabetics use such equipment as glcometers  on Shabbat. Of course, people who use wheelchairs often have power chairs with motors.
> 
> I would like to see Orthodox Halachic authorities allow the use of refreshable Braille devices in Synagogues, because having to work with multiple volumes at one's seat in the synagogue is quite difficult at best and takes up a lot of room. You can put hundreds of volumes of sacred texts on a refreshable Braille device.
> 
> 
> Yes, I think that both Orthodox and Conservative authorities should be consulted and should consider some extremely revolutionary changes to make disabled Jews much more welcome than we are now. I am very excited about some of the trends that we are witnessing. I think it's time for disabled Jews to speak out, to organize and to be heard and respected and taken seriously by all Jewish movements.
> 
> 
> Kol tuv,
> 
> Daveed
>                                        Sent from my iPhone
> 
> On Aug 18, 2026, at 7:18 AM, Rachael D Hudson <hudson.rachaeld at gmail.com> wrote:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
>                                          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>
> 
> Sent: Tuesday, 18 August 2026 10:13:08
> 
> To: in Judaism NFB <nfbj at nfbnet.org>
> 
> Cc: Rachael D Hudson <hudson.rachaeld at gmail.com>; nfbj at nfbnet.org <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> 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>
> 
> 
> 
> -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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