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The Women's Torah

Making Jewish and feminist history while achieving a sort of personal enlightenment may not be the trifecta, but creating the first Torah known to be scribed by women is an exhilarating, breathtaking ride. Two years ago, Kadima commissioned this ground-breaking first women-scribed Torah. We are well on our way to accomplishing this historic work and we cordially invite you to join us in making history.

The Women's Torah Project (WTP) has grown from a gleam in our eye to something bigger than we had ever dreamed. Commissioning the first Torah in history to be scribed by a woman is an audacious task for an organization of any size. For a small community like Kadima, it's one of the most ambitious ventures we've ever undertaken.

Other history-makers have joined us. We are greatly honored to count Rabbi Sally Priesand, the first woman rabbi ordained in the United States, and Cantor Mimi Frishman, one of the first woman cantors, among our project supporters. The Women's Torah Project has connected with makers of future history, too—several youth and study groups have sent tzedakah to the WTP, and many donors have chosen to honor a bar or bat mitzvah youth with a contribution to the project in their name. This is an expensive and ambitious undertaking, and donations are always welcome.

Some people support this work because they want equal-opportunity Judaism. Others hope their daughters and sons will see unlimited possibilities wherever they look, or want the contributions of their great-great-great-great-grandmothers to resonate as strongly as those of their forefathers. Whatever draws supporters to this project, we are profoundly grateful.

And you shall write a Torah...

by Susan B. Davis, Executive Director, Kadima

It is awe-inspiring to represent the community that chose to commission the first certified sofrot (female scribes) in all of Jewish history to scribe their first Sefer Torah. On the one hand, the mundane tasks necessary to support scribing such a special Torah seem just like other successful projects. On the other hand, when I take the time to consider the potential influence this "first" Torah can have on Judaism—and that I am in any way sharing the same space and time as the Women's Torah Project—the vastness is sometimes hard for me to grasp completely. We are all touched by this groundbreaking work. The impact it will have on Judaism is very exciting to me. My son talks about "the soferet" as if it is as ancient a moniker as sofer, and that always makes me smile.

Kadima is no stranger to innovative thinking. We were talking about peace in the Middle East before many of our Jewish sisters and brothers (and certainly our mothers and fathers). We pushed the envelope on issues of gender and orientation, anti-Semitism, ritual, liturgy, sexism, justice, and class struggles before many Jews in modern times felt comfortable discussing such topics in a public arena. Our original mission of teaching about Judaism with an emphasis on tikkun olam is still strong today. Our members range from almost secular to fairly traditional, but we all come together because we appreciate progressive Jewish values. Those of us who are parents want our children to learn that our work goes far beyond ourselves. All of us hope to make the world a better place. Our community embraces the concept of the Women's Torah as an important and complex representation of who we are religiously, politically, socially, and historically. We (you and us) have opened the door to incredible opportunities for Judaism's future. Kadima is delighted that you are joining with us to share in the joy—whether by your financial support, your interest, or your willingness to talk about the project with others. The support and interest about this particular Torah makes me feel blessed to be here in Seattle, in 5766, and to be part of the community that enabled Shoshana Gugenheim and Aviel Barclay to follow their hearts, with a very clear goal, to make a difference for all of us who will be touched by the first Women's Sefer Torah.