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What do you get when a Jewish Jerusalem-based scribe and a non-Jewish Canadian woman with an interest in Bible studies, connect over a game of Internet Scrabble?

Well, you might just get A Little Torah Scroll.

That's what happened for Cheryl MacDonald of Kincardine.

MacDonald is a sometime, on-line Scrabble partner of Shel Bassel, an American immigrant to Israel. He is a ritual Jewish scribe whose primary job for the past 30 years has been to write Torah scrolls.

The Torah is the Five Books of Moses, the first five books of the Bible, originally composed in Hebrew. According to Jewish tradition, a portion of the Torah is read each week in the synagogue. The reading must be done, however, not from a printed book but only from a specially-composed, hand-done scroll written on actual parchment (animal skin) using either a reed or a feather pen and jet black ink.

Until recently, every one of the some two dozen scrolls Bassel has written was commissioned in advance. Recently, though, he decided he wanted to write a smaller-than-average scroll and then find a buyer.

During a chat with MacDonald, he mentioned that he was trying to find a backer for his project. She told him she was looking for a different kind of investment in the wake of the sharp downturn in the conventional markets.

Although unusual, and possibly unique, that a non-Jewish woman would put up money for such a quintessentially-Jewish enterprise, they began to talk.

Bassel sent her some detailed information and gave her a rather compact lesson on the writing of Torah scrolls, as well as their business market. And MacDonald decided she would back the project.

"Initially, it started out as a business investment," said MacDonald. "I did all my homework and researched Torah scrolls, talked to a rabbi reference for whom Shel had some work in the past, and discussed it with my family who, actually, thought I had lost my mind. But since my mutual funds were circling the bowl, so I figured I might as well diversify - really diversify."

The more she learned about the process of creating the scroll and the centuries of tradition and ritual behind it, the more A Little Torah Scroll became a kind of journey for MacDonald.

"I"m not what you would call a religious person, but I do feel like I am now part of something greater than myself - something that will endure long after I am gone. I have always been a supporter of the arts - and this Torah scroll is truly a work of art."

Bassel is also very learned in his craft and his religion - and very patient in explaining things in a way that is easy to understand. "As a former educator, learning about a different culture and religion is a fascinating experience for me," said MacDonald.

Writing a scroll, no matter what the size, is a major undertaking. Such a project usually takes six months to a year. 

Parchment maker prepares to score lines onto the sheet



Constituent parts of the alef exploded

Bassel set up a Facebook group dedicated to following A Little Torah Scroll, from its inception to its completion which is expected this summer. It's called "A Little Torah Grows in Jerusalem" and it contains photographs, illustrations and short essays about the Torah being written, as well as general information on Torah scrolls, the Hebrew alphabet and related topics.

It quickly became clear that this was much more than just a business venture. Many Facebook friends of various religious backgrounds have joined the group, drawn by the opportunity to gain insight into this ancient Jewish practice of scribal art. Several lively discussions have been sparked with more to come.

MacDonald will be hosting an evening this Sunday (Jan. 30) at Bean's Bistro in downtown Kincardine at 7:30 p.m., to meet with Bassel who will give a presentation on the Art and Tradition of Writing a Torah Scroll. Everyone is welcome.

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Thursday, January 27, 2011