Heritage Florida Jewish News - Central Florida's Independent Jewish Voice

The Sefer Torah (Torah Scroll) that is used at the Jewish Academy of Orlando as well as in the community daily Minyan during services on Monday and Thursday mornings, tore at the end of the last school year. The Jewish Academy invited Soferet Rachel Iris Salston, who is a rabbinical student at the Ziegler School of Rabbinic Studies in Los Angeles, to repair the Torah scroll to welcome our new school year and teach the students the sacred task of being a "soferet." A "soferet" is the feminine form of "sofer" which is a scribe who writes Torah scrolls, and Salston is one of less than 20 female scribes in the world.

On Monday and Tuesday, Aug. 18 and 19, Salston visited the Jewish Academy to teach the students how to write and repair a Sefer Torah. The students learned a great deal about both the art and science of writing and repairing our most sacred text. This was a very rare and important educational opportunity the students will never forget.

For more information or to arrange a visit to the school, please contact Alan Rusonik, Head of School, at arusonik@jewishacademyorlando.org or 407-667-0713.