An educational excursion to the National Sofrut Center was organized for the first-grade students of the Rabbi Levi Yitzchak Schneerson Yeshiva Ktana, the leading educational institution for boys of the Dnipro Jewish Community. These students had recently celebrated their “Mesibas Chumash.” The Center is located in the building of the “Golden Rose” Central Synagogue and is an important institution of the Dnipro Jewish Community.
The excursion was conducted by the young and talented sofer, Menachem Mendel Margolin. He explained in detail the work of a sofer, described the materials and methods used to write a Sefer Torah, showed the special tools, and introduced the children to the numerous details of this complex and responsible process.
The first-graders were accompanied by their homeroom teacher, Morah Leah Dorfman. For the children, this excursion was an important continuation of their studies. After lessons dedicated to the structure of the Chumash and many topics related to the Sefer Torah, they were able to see with their own eyes how holy Jewish texts are written, how a sofer’s work is organized, and how carefully every letter must be treated during the writing of the Torah.
The children particularly enjoyed the opportunity to touch the elements from which mezuzahs, tefillin, Megillahs, and even the Sefer Torah itself are made. They were able to hold parchment (klaf), quills, and special ink in their hands. They also learned how these items are produced, the importance of strictly adhering to rules and traditions, and why a sofer must be not only a knowledgeable and skilled professional but also a G‑d-fearing person who meticulously fulfills the mitzvos.
“It is very important for children not only to acquire cognitive knowledge in the classroom but also to have direct personal experience, including tactile experience,” said Rebbetzin Chana Segal, director of the Yeshiva Ktana. “We try to organize such excursions for our students as often as possible and consider them an important part of providing a quality Jewish education for the boys. This allows us to properly fulfill the mission entrusted to us by the united and cohesive Dnipro Jewish Community under the leadership of Chief Rabbi Shmuel Kaminezki.”
