Rabbi Matthew Eisenberg carries the Jewish Congregation of Fairbanks' Torah under the Chuppah.

Processional-JCF Board Members:
Ken Goldman, Bea Kennedy, Harvey Kurzbard,
Brenda Baxter (Melteff), Joe Notkin, Howard Saklad, Richard Savell, and Jeff Schwarz

Finally the day had arrived. On September 11, after 2 years of fund raising, and 3 months in New York for much needed repairs, our large Torah scroll had arrived at the airport personally escorted by Neil Yerman, our Torah scribe. Standing there, big smile on his face, and an unusually large gym bag cradled in his arms was our congregation's new friend and teacher. Neil Yerman is a sofer, specializing in working with Reform, Conservative and unaffiliated congregations.

Neil Yerman is one of about 60 sofers, or Torah scribes, in the United States. There are an estimated 300 worldwide. To become a sofer, Yerman had to learn the many ancient traditions of the Torah, calligraphy, and the art of documentation. In the past 15 years, the devout Reform Jew has written five complete Torahs and restored 800 Torah scrolls. A Torah must be created according to strict rules. There are to be no mistakes in a Torah, which is carefully proofread after completion. And the Torah, considered a living document, must be made entirely of natural materials. That means using kosher ink, made from the crushed outer bark of a wasp's nest, a quill made from a turkey or goose feather, and cloth made from a calf killed for food.

Writing the 304,805 letters in the Torah out by hand is a painstakingly long process. But Yerman says that writing each letter by hand allows him the opportunity to consider and observe the commandments of the Torah. There are 248 columns and about 80 parchment pages in most Torahs, and it can take a full day just to do one column, or about a third of a page of the Torah. But Yerman says that when the letters are formed by hand, the letters and their meaning are appreciated. He often chants an age old tune with each letter. He says that all Jewish souls connect in the Torah, so that every child of Israel that has read the Torah is represented in every letter.

Over the next 3 days, Neil was to instruct, and guide us through the fascinating world of Torah history, repair, and rededication. On Shabbat morning, we gathered for Torah study with our Torah scrolls open for all to see. Neil talked of parchment and sinew, of kosher ink and quill pens, and the creation of the holy letters. We explored the week's parshah and other interesting sections of the scrolls.

Our large Torah is 80-100 years old and is of Eastern European origin, perhaps Czechoslovakian. It is written in a modified Beit Yoseph style, and the scribe who created this scroll was definitely skilled. While Neil had cleaned and repaired the parchment, and completed most of the lettering, he left a few of the letter's crowns to be completed with the assistance of our community leaders.

Our small Torah, which was not repaired at this time was also opened and explored. This lovely older sister is estimated to be from 200-250 years old, and most likely of Russian origin. The beautiful font has a sepia tone as the scribe had mixed honey with the ink to embody the 'sweetness' of Torah. Many of the letters were faded, and there were areas where a scribe with a shaky hand - perhaps from age or cold - had rewritten the letters.

FAIRBANKS - Just before the Jewish High Holy Days in September, seven members of Congregation Or HaTzafon had the unique privilege of inking a multi-pronged crown over one of seven letters in the Torah, containing the Five Books of Moses.

As each person took their turn marking the scroll with a fine-tipped, feathered quill dipped in a special black ink, their hand was guided by New York sofer Neil Yerman, a trained Torah scribe.

"These elaborate crowns are unique, and you will not see them in any other Torah in the world," acting Rabbi Elyssa Auster said.

In April, the Jewish congregation entrusted its Torah to Yerman, sending it to the East Coast for some much-needed restoration work.

Yerman personally returned the Torah last month, just in time for the start of the High Holy Days.

The seven letters embellished with crowns were located above the "Song of the Sea" in the book of Exodus.

The song was sung by Moses and the children of Israel after they crossed the Sea of Reeds (Red Sea), Auster said, pointing out that the Hebrew words in that section of the Torah are arranged in a block format to represent the bricks of the pyramids the Israelites built or the stepping stones they trod to freedom through the parted water.

The Torah is central to Jewish congregations. "The Torah is the word of God. It's Jewish law. It's our history," said Auster, who is in her fifth year of rabbinical studies at Hebrew College in Newton, Mass.

The Torah is written in Hebrew by hand on calfskin with connecting pages sewn together with animal sinew and attached at either end to smooth wooden spindles, called "atzei chaim" in Hebrew, which means "trees of life."

The Torah is considered the tree of life, Auster said. "The Torah is like a living, breathing soul, and we care for it like a human being."

At services when the Torah is uncovered, the congregation rises, and as the rabbi or service leader walks around the sanctuary with it, people touch the corner of their prayer shawl or their prayer book to the Torah, then kiss it, Auster said.

"Teaching and learning is extremely important in Judaism," explained Auster, "and that requires study of the texts and the Torah."

Or HaTzafon's Torah was donated in 1991 by Congregation B'nai Abraham of Portsmouth, Ohio, and it comprises the Five Books of Moses - Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy.

Torahs are made traditionally, from the skins of kosher animals - calf, sheep, goats or deer.

Sofer Yerman said Or HaTzafon's Torah is of Russian origin and estimates it is about 100 years old.

When not in use at services, the scroll is carefully rolled and encased in a richly embroidered velvet covering and stored in an ark made of golden oak. The ark is a sacred repository or container.

The ark was built in the traditional manner by Or HaTzafon member Vern Kennedy and was assembled without nails.

Also stored in the ark is a smaller Torah left to the congregation by a military member. Sofer Yerman determined that Torah is also of Russian origin and is approximately 250 years old.

The Hebrew script on the smaller scroll is much lighter than the prescribed black ink, which is a clue to its origin.

Yerman said in the Russian tradition, sofers add honey to the complex traditional ink mixture, since "The words of Torah are like honey in your mouth."

Next Saturday, the 70-family member Congregation Or HaTzafon, which means "Light of the North," will again celebrate the return of their holy scroll on the final High Holy Day service, Simchat Torah.

They will finish the last portion of Deuteronomy and roll the Torah back to its start and begin reading Genesis again.

Then worshipers will celebrate repeating the Torah reading cycle by dancing and singing with the Torah around the synagogue.