[NFBJ] Scribes interested in learning about blindness

Thu Aug 20 07:43:09 UTC 2026

Lenny,

Do you have any idea of how many people could benefit from this?

AS you know, many blind people feel so isolated already that they consider throwing in the towel regarding any Jewish affiliation.

-----Original Message-----
From: NFBJ <nfbj-bounces at nfbnet.org> On Behalf Of Rabbi Lenny Sarko via NFBJ
Sent: Wednesday, August 19, 2026 5:15 PM
To: NFB in Judaism <nfbj at nfbnet.org>
Cc: rabbi at rabbisarko.org
Subject: Re: [NFBJ] Scribes interested in learning about blindness

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:
------
[1] http://www.thekedushaproject.org
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