‘First Megillah written by female scribe’
THIS PURIM, Belsize Square Synagogue in north-west London is unveiling a brand new Megillat Esther, believed to be the first to be written by a female scribe for a UK congregation.
The shul commissioned soferet (female scribe) Linda Coppleson to write the scroll, which, according to Rabbi Gabriel Botnick, is “the first of its kind in a couple ways”.
He told the JC: “The megillah has been written with vowels and trope (cantillation symbols), which is permitted by Jewish law. Torah scrolls may not include these markings, but megillot may.
“This makes the mitzvah of reading from the megillah much more accessible to a larger percentage of our community members.”
He added: “With a typical scroll, a reader must memorise the pronunciation and melody of several columns of text. With our new scroll, anyone who can read Hebrew and knows trope can fulfil this mitzvah far more easily.”
He described the new megillah as “not only historic” but also “exceptionally special, in that it so beautifully represents our community’s commitment to full inclusion in Jewish life”.
Meanwhile, New London Synagogue is also celebrating a new version of Megillat Esther for communal use.
Rabbi Jeremy Gordon said the shul had produced a version with Rabbi Adam Zagoria Moffet of St. Albans Masorti Synagogue, who provided the translation.
Rabbi Gordon told the JC: “The versions I see in shuls tend to be either scruffily photocopied sheets or books so full of commentary they aren’t useable. We’ve created something which I think is beautiful, with a bunch of fun features.”
In the new version, Haman’s name is always in red “so it’s easy to spot when to boo” and there are two commentaries.