What a Difference Dyo Makes

What a difference it is using the real tools, including dyo - sofer's ink.

At Rabbi Fasman's idirection, we put down our familiar cartridge calligrpahy pens and started using the plastic nibs we will be writing the Megillah with, and the dipping ink.

I realize now that there was no way we could have succeeded on our own without a teacher.

Thank you, Rabbi Mark Fasman, for a great class and for agreeing to see us through.

After inspiring us with the awesomeness of the project, Rabbi Fasman reviewed some general rules/techniques of writing a Meggillah and taught some basic strokes and five letters (bet, resh, cof sofit, cof, samech). It was like learning them for the first time, but it all flowed easily and "made sense." The computer learning was an ok prelude, but nothing like the real thing.  Leah Horowitz videotaped most of the session.

Trying now to schedule our next class.

Also, welcome to our newest scribe, Susie Fredman, who brings our number to 12.  Soon we will have a writer for each of the columns on our klaf - not that daunting to think about being responsible for one column and not the "gantza megillah!"