Started at the end of August and continuing to June 2022, rabbis and cantors of participant congregations each chose a favorite subject to share for a series they call Clergy Explorations.

Cantor Rena Shapiro of Beth Samuel Jewish Center in Ambridge led off with an immersive Sh’mitah Seder and musical Selichot service to usher in the High Holidays.

On October 6, Rabbi Lenny Sarko of Congregation Emanu-El Israel in Greensburg presented his personal quest to create what is likely the world’s first Braille Sefer Torah.

As he told a rapt audience composed of members of small congregations around the region, Rabbi Sarko’ sight diminished as a result of Type 2 diabetes.  His limitations motivated him to learn English Braille and then Hebrew Braille.

When he found out there appeared to be no such thing as a Sefer Torah written in Braille, he set out to make one.

The process took more almost three years during which he developed a mistake-free process to manually poke Braille holes onto a scroll, eliminating any potential for error.

Rabbi Sarko’s Braille Sefer Torah at Congregation Emanu-El in Greensburg is unique at the moment, but he hopes his innovation will gain traction with time and support and allow the visually impaired to perform the mitzvah of reading Torah.

Spiritual leaders of other congregations in the cohort have other intellectual passions.

The Revelation of the Golden Calf in the Book of Exodus, Rabbinic interpretation of the Bible, and early views and practices concerning conversion will be the subjects of upcoming sessions of Western Pennsylvania Small Congregation Clergy Explorations.

Please contact Noah Levine (info@jclproject.org, 678-429-8895) for more information about how JCLP can help your congregation.

November 20, 2021