Ricki Heicklin, Soferet! (Aug. 2012)

Three amudim going on four (Aug. 2012)

Halachik Sources re Illumination of a Megillah (compiled by David Mescheloff)

The unknown author at the following site believes there's no problem, but gives neither references nor reasons:

http://tefillinet.com/search1.asp?find=%F1%FA&rshima=1

While there might seem to be historical support for his view, as from almost four centuries ago:
http://lib.cet.ac.il/pages/item.asp?item=15558
and see
http://web.nli.org.il/sites/NLI/Hebrew/gallery/of-israel/hageiisrael/purim/Pages/megila.aspx
nevertheless, history doesn't tell you whether something was approved l'chatekhilah, or even b'dieved.
Check out what HaRav Avraham Yosef indicates in the name of his father, haRav Ovadya Yosef, at:
http://www.moreshet.co.il/web/shut/shut2.asp?id=104161
and as is succinctly summarized (with a solid Ashkenazi source) at:
http://www.yahadoot.net/Answer.asp?id=136

We hope to finish the writing by November when Shaarei Tzedek plans to bring in a sofer from SoferonSite to do a program re Sifrei Torah.  The plan is to have a "siyum" to mark the completion of the writing of the Megillah and sew the 4 pieces of klaf together, under the guidance of the visiting sofer.  Not sure if artwork will come before or after.  Artwork will be minimalist so as not to be distracting for a reader.  We are now looking into sources to find a basis for allowing artwork (l'chatchila). 

Update:  After a long hiatus, I am returming to the blog to report and document the group's progress.  The actual writing on the klaf has begun.  Shelly, Aviva, and I began writing our sections about 6 weeks ago - motivated in large part by Shelly's fast-approaching aliyah.  A photo of the first completed 'amud' is attached to the blog.)  We are now down to the five scribes who will, IY"H, write the text, and we are enlisting local women artists to do "illumination," or decorative art, in the margins. 

Happily, our recent burst of activity coincides with Rabbi Fasman's much-improved health, and his own return to writing a Megillah on the klaf the group presented to him in appreciation for his teaching us. 

We have come to the attention of media!  This Tuesday, a reporter and photogrpaher from "The Jewish Light" will come for our writing/practicing session to do a story on the project.

Aviva's Guides / Last Set of Letters

It always helps to have a scribe who is also a computer whiz!  Aviva Yael - the most recent member to join the group - has created  wonderful step-by-step guides for each letter and graphed practice paper that matches the size of our klaf.  She emailed copies to each of us - I will attach them to the blog as soon as she shows me how to do that :)

Meanwhile, we have been proceeding with weekly classes with Rabbi Fasman.  Tomorrow night we will complete the aleph-bet.  Among the last four letters will be that magical "peh" with the secret "bet" embedded inside.

Then it will be practice practice practice, after which we will reconvene in a few weeks for Rabbi Fasman to check our writing and instruct us on other Megillah-writing matters, like margins, sewing the klaf, etc.

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!"

A teacher!

After taking a semi-break over the summer, we are resuming our training - this time with a teacher! By sheer happenstance, I learned that Rabbi Fasman (Shaarei Tzedek) studied Sofrut in Jerusalem and has written his own Megillah. He was excited about our project and has agreed to teach us the STA"M alphabet . . . and more, as we progress. At our first session with him (Tuesday, August 31, 2010, at 7:30pm my house), he will review with us the letters we already learned (bet, resh, kaf, samech, mem sofit, daled, heh, vav, tof, peh), check our writing, and, time permitting, move on to the next few letters.  Meanwhile, practice, practice, practice.

I also want to introduce two new members of the group: Leslie Kastner and Andrea Ginsburg.