[NFBJ] Scribes interested in learning about blindness
rabbi at rabbisarko.org
rabbi at rabbisarko.org
Wed Aug 19 21:15:17 UTC 2026
David,
There are no trope signs in a sefer torah. A sefer torah, with a scribe
or braille, costs in the order of $75,000. No synagogue is going to
fund this for one or two people. It is why I developed the way for
people to borrow the scroll when they wish to use it.
Thanks,
Rabbi Lenny
On 2026-08-18 12:30, Daveed Mandell via NFBJ wrote:
> About another approach, which I know is controversial: What if we could
> read from the Torah with braille text, while someone such as the
> Gabbai, pointered with the Yad to every word as we read? Could this be
> a stop gap approach, until we are able to obtain a braille Torah scrol?
> Rabbi Lenny has only produced a few Sifrei Torah, as wonderful as they
> are. I would like to see one, but I'm on the West Coast. To borrow a
> Torah scroll for two weeks is good as far as it goes, but we need to be
> able to obtain braille Sifrei Torah for permanent retention. That is
> going to be a huge problem, because they are not considered kosher, and
> mass producing them would be unlawful. I would love to see one, to get
> my hands on it, to actually read from it.
>
> Another problem is Braille trope signs.
> Does anybody have any information on them? I have heard that Duxbury
> contains Braille Trope signs in its Biblical Hebrew Braille code. Is
> that true? I've been trying to find out about Braille Trope signs for
> years. When I had my Bar Mitzvah, I made up my own Braille trope code.
> It worked. I just did so again for a recent Haftarah that I chanted.
>
> Yes, all this is interesting and exciting!
> Sent from my iPhone
>
> On Aug 18, 2026, at 7:42 AM, mlevy--- via NFBJ <nfbj at nfbnet.org> wrote:
>
> Can I contact "these gentlemen" on my own?
>
> Thank you.
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: NFBJ <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>; in Judaism NFB
> <nfbj at nfbnet.org>
> Cc: Rachael D Hudson <hudson.rachaeld at gmail.com>; 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>
> 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
> [1]<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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Links:
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[1] http://www.thekedushaproject.org
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