Soferet (film)

2006 Canadian film

Soferet: A Special Scribe

Aviel Barclay writing a Torah scroll

Directed by| Donna and Daniel Zuckerbrot
Produced by| Donna and Daniel Zuckerbrot
Cinematography| Andrew Binnington
Edited by| Michèle Hozer
Music by| Aaron Davis
John Lang

Release date

* May 2006 (2006-05)

Running time

| 48 mminutes
Countries| Canada
Israel
United States
Language| English

Soferet: A Special Scribe is a 2006 television documentary about Aviel Barclay, who studied to become a sofer, which is a traditionally male position transcribing Jewish Hebrew texts. The documentary explains how she became the world's first known traditionally trained female scribe in October 2003.[1][2] The film explores the importance of the Torah in Jewish life, the perfection required to execute a kosher Torah scroll, and a feminist perspective on the battle waged by some Jewish women to assume responsibilities traditionally reserved for men.

## Summary

[edit]

Barclay was born into a Christian family in Prince George, Canada.[3] As a girl, she enjoyed calligraphy and taught herself the letters of the Hebrew alphabet by the age of 10.[3] She converted to Judaism as an adult and joined the Orthodox Jewish community.[3] The film chronicles Aviel Barclay studying to become a sofer (Jewish scribe) in Orthodox Judaism.

## See also

[edit]

* Sofer
* Judaism
* Torah
* Who is a Jew?
* Role of women in Judaism

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "Simchat Torah with a Soferet's Torah | Jewesses with Attitude". Archived from the original on July 28, 2011. Retrieved October 23, 2010.
2. ^ Lowenstein, Alice (June 3, 2005). "A Female Scribe's Trailblazing Effort". The Forward.
3. ^ a b c "Soferet [videorecording]: A special scribe". University of Toronto Libraries. Retrieved December 15, 2015.

## External links

[edit]

* Aviel Barclay's website
* The producers website
* Soferet at IMDb

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