Meet the Sofer —

Neil Yerman is a sofer — a person who writes and restores Torah scrolls.  In English, the Hebrew word sofer is translated as “scribe.”  To become a sofer, a Jewish person must master the art of Hebrew calligraphy, document restoration, and the many rules and traditions governing the writing and restoring of a Torah.  In addition, a sofer must lead a religious life.

Meet the Artist —

Sofer Yerman is also an artist who specializes in creating one-of-a-kind illustrated documents for life cycle events, creating ketubot for weddings, scrolls for bar and bat mitzvah, and illustrated family trees.

• Temple Emanu-El Celebrates Rosh Hashanah with New Torah — San Jose Mercury News, September 15, 2012
  
  
• Three Scribes: Friends in Art: Neil Yerman, Karen Gorst, and Mohamed Zakariya — Jewish, Chistian, and Muslim calligraphers collaborated, dialogued togeher, and created a unique work of art at the JCC of Schenectady, New York, on Sunday, September 18, 2011. Open PDF flyer.
  
  
• Religion News: Members of Congregation Beth Yam help repair 100-year-old Torah — The Island Packet / The Beauford Gazette, May 28, 2011
  
  
• Jewish Scribe Gives Lesson in Torah Care — Billings Gazette, April 16, 2011
  
  
• Temple Sinai Torah Dedication Ceremony, Worcester, Massachusetts, February 9, 2011 / 5771 (view slide show)
  
  
• Torah Whisperer: Reflections at Simchat Torah — The Jewish Daily Forward, October 8, 2010
  
  
• Restoring Our Torah — Congregation Or HaTzafon (Jewish Congregation of Fairbanks, Alaska)
  
  
• Jewish Center Of The Hamptons Celebrates 50th Anniversary With New Torah — video feature on Hamptons.com
  
  
• Congregation Writes Torah, With Help From a Scribe — featured story in the New York Times
  
  
• Simchat Torah: Lessons in the Circle — Jewish News of Greater Phoenix, Phoenix, AZ
  
  
• The 613th Commandment: Write a Torah — St. Thomas Synagogue, St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands
  
  
• Scroll doctor: Restorer Neil Yerman gives Roanoke congregation’s Torahs a detailed checkup — news article from The Roanoke Times, February 26, 2005.
  
  

Neil Yerman on Film

• Write For Yourselves (www.writeforyourselves.com) — a documentary about the Torah: “Write For Yourselves” focuses on the process of creating a Torah scroll so that its words are accurately preserved from generation to generation.

• From the Osgood File, 5/13/2002 & 9/12/ 2002: Torah Scribe: Modern day Torah scribe painstakingly creates the centerpiece of Jewish faith.
  
  
• Beth Friend of NPR reports from St. Paul, Minnesota, where an entire congregation is participating in the usually solitary act of restoring a Torah.  (Click arrow below to begin.)
  
  

Members of the Congregation Help Restore Torah Left: Sofer Neil H. Yerman and Jacob add a letter to a Torah that was being restored after it was damaged in the Holocaust. Video by Andy Noah Ratto (Click arrow to begin.)

Links to Related Sites

Jewish Appleseed Foundation (JewishAppleseed.org):
The site provides basic information about Judaism and Jewish life, an outreach to Jews and non-Jews.

Wedding Rabbi (WeddingRabbi.org):
Jewish wedding officiant, Rabbi Jo David, creates meaningful weddings and commitment ceremonies for Jewish and interfaith couples.

Rabbi Jo David (RabbiJoDavid.org):
Working with interfaith and multi-cultural couples and families, and meeting the needs of those who do not fit the “traditional” Jewish mold.

The Reform Jewish Community of Hamelin, Germany (JGHReform.org):
Jüdische Gemeinde Hameln, founded in 1997, is the first organized Jewish community to be established in Hamlin since the Holocaust.

Jewish Center of the Hamptons (jcoh.net)

Torah Cover Designs, by Corinne Soikin Strauss (torahcoverdesigns.com)