Torah Scrolls & Yad

The report restoration report of Falmouth Sefer Torah 2

Royal Cornwall Museum, Truro, December 2013

Terms

The terms I have used throughout the report include:

נקי – Naki parchment

This is the term used for simple, clean parchment without any lime / chalk paste.

משוח – Mashuach parchment

This is pasted parchment – can be pasted either on the outside of the Sefer Torah only or on both sides. Since the 1960s this has been banned by the State of Israel, but on the outside only was popular on most Sifrei Torah from the 18th / 19th Century onwards.

Sifrei Torah on Mashuach parchment, especially inside and outside are of lower value.

ווי עמודים– Vavei Amudim

This is the term used to describe the beginning of each Amud – column. Sifrei Torah with Vavei amudim are always in demand as they are popular with the Baal Korei (person leyning). Further it standardised the layout and almost 100% of new Sifrei Torah written today are in this format. There are at least 3 variations to the standard 42 lines.

Restoration

When reviewing this report, I would like to convey that whilst my work as a Sofer Magiah is corrective – restoring Sifrei Torah – it is also aimed very highly at encouraging congregations to bring back Sifrei Torah into rotating use in a Synagogue.

Letters

It should be noted that whilst letters can be corrected if they have peeled, or are very light it is impossible to correct every dark brown letter and it is only where the letter is feint or very faded in colour (i.e. very light brown) that there is a halachic need to correct it.

Etz Chaim

Today we use Etz Chaim with a top double disc on Bereishit and a double disc on the bottom – Devarim end. The Etz Chaim also has a rotating stopper to stop the parchment from being lopsided and wearing out the edges which in normal Etz Chaim get ruined due to the discs hitting the edges

Preservation

Finally, one of the main aspects of my work is the preservation of the klaf skins and the writing. Although the procedures and skills of Safrus have not and will never change, we now have modern aids like computer checking, sprays, inks etc which are halachically permissible and help Sifrei Torah survive for future generations.

Sefer Torah 2 –ב – Falmouth

This Sefer Torah has the following characteristics:

• Ashkenazi – medium clear writing.
• Is mashuach parchment
• Weight is light
• Parchment size is 33 cm
• 53 Lines

General

This Sefer Torah is more than 250 years old and comes from the German Bohemian areas, based on the type of writing. I understand that it has been in the Falmouth community and being small has certainly had good use.

The Sefer Torah’s letters were obviously in bad condition in every column throughout, due to its age etc. In normal circumstances, I would not have attempted to repair or restore this type of Sefer Torah, due to the many many hours required to touch up every single letter, however it was an honour to restore this Sefer as I know that it is intrinsically important to the Cornwall community.

Summary

This Sefer Torah did have potential, subject to the above provision that all the letters needed attention as well as the holes in the parchment needed careful repair.

Sefer Torah 2

Restored and returned to Cornwall – Kehillat Kernow

Here is a timeline of events:

• In September 2004, Chairman Harvey Kurzfield wrote to the Museum requesting that the community be allowed to make use of one of its Torah Scrolls. Harvey was allowed to take a scroll to London to see if repairs were possible. No decision was taken by the Trustees of the Museum.
• In January 2010, Leslie Lipert, noticing that the Museum was selling some of its paintings, contacted Hilary Bracegirdle the Museum’s Director to ask if Kehillat Kernow could buy one of its four Sefer Torah Scrolls. She informed him that the Museum would not sell them but would consider giving one if Kehillat Kernow could put a reasoned argument why it should have a scroll.
• In April 2010, Elkan Levy, then Director of Small Communities (US), and Leslie Lipert of Kehillat Kernow, examined three of the scrolls at the museum, after which Elkan wrote a report on the historical significance and repair possibilities of the Sifrot Torah held by the Museum and conferred with Mr Bernard Benarroch, certified sofer, to indicate if repairs were possible.
• In February 2011, Bernard Benarroch, after examining all four scrolls, wrote a report and appraisal to the Truro Museum. He agreed to restore one of the Sefer Torahs (the smallest of the four and best suited in his opinion for the Kehillat Kernow community), for the Cornwall Jewish community.
• In May 2011, Harvey Kurzfield and Leslie Lipert wrote with the help of Pat Lipert, Elkan Levy, Keith Pearce, and David Jacobs Director, of Synagogue Partnership (MRJ) an extended letter with detailed appendices to the Royal Cornwall Museum requesting the scroll and giving rationale for such an action. As a result, the Museum Trustees asked The Museums’ Association for written advice.
• In December 2011, after studying The Museums Association previous cases further additional relevant information was supplied to them. In March 2012, The Museums’ Association advocated that the scroll be returned to Kehillat Kernow subject to conditions.
• In May 2012, Elkan Levy and Leslie Lipert met with the Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Museum, Mr. Peter Strethridge, who agreed to put the request to return the scroll to Kehillat Kernow to the Museum’s committee. A sub-committee was subsequently formed to study the matter.
• In October 2012, a letter advocating the scroll be returned to the Kehillat Kernow Community by the Chief Rabbi Jonathan Sacks, was sent to the Museum trustees (something which the trustees requested).
• In February 2013, Elkan Levy, Harvey Kurzfield and Leslie Lipert met with the some members of the sub-committee’s of the Museum who proposed the Scroll be given to Kehillat Kernow subject to certain conditions that were acceptable. They agreed to put it to the whole sub committee for approval. The main committee on 15 March 2013, approved the return of the Scroll to the Jewish Community of Cornwall.
• In May 2013, Harvey Kurzfield and Leslie Lipert met with Hilary Bracegirdle, the Museum’s Director, whose help in the negotiations had been invaluable, to collect the Scroll ready to be transferred to London for repair by B. Benarroch to make the Sefer Torah fit for use in synagogue services.
• In December 2013, Bernard Benarroch met Leslie Lipert and handed over the repaired scroll at the Museum. Then they met with Angela Broome, Librarian Archivist at the Museum, and delivered the report of the full details of the refurbishment of the scroll, a condition of the gift from the Museum.