Page 22 - Holyland Magazine - 2018 Edition

Landscapes
Iris Pomerantz Golan and Miriam Laor
"…For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth
pass away, not one letter, not one stroke
of a letter, will pass from the law until all is
accomplished…" (Matthew 5, 18)
This year the state of Israel celebrates its 70th Kedumim landscape, where he demonstrates
anniversary and we are proud to continue
ancient traditions dating back thousands
of years. The Bible plays a significant role in
preserving those traditions which were passed
down from generation to generation by Torah
scribes who meticulously copied every letter of
the ancient manuscripts.
At the same time as the founding of the State of
Israel, a major archaeological find was made:
the discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls. It is
believed that important early Christian figures
were in contact with the Dead Sea Community
who wrote and copied the scrolls.
Here at Neot Kedumim Biblical Park in Israel
we are privileged to teach the ancient texts in
their context. We bring the parables to life and
demonstrate how Israel's landscape inspired
Jesus and the prophets in their teachings.
The most honored member of our staff is
Zecharia Ben Moshe, a Torah scribe. His
name, Zechariah Ben Moshe (son of Moses) is
special and symbolic. The Hebrew meaning of
22
and scrolls
The story of a Torah scribe at Neot Kedumim
Torah scribe demonstration
at Neot Kedumim Park
Zecharia is 'remembering God and his words, ' Almond trees in bloom at Neot Kedumim Park
which is precisely the mission of a Torah scribe.
Guided tour at Neot Kedumim Park
Zechariah warmly welcomes his guests into his
booth (sukkah), nestled in the pastoral Neot This, you may say, is our guiding light at Neot
Kedumim Park: Teach from our heart so we
and explains his craft. On display are the tools can reach the heart of our visitors!
of his trade: special homemade ink made
according to an ancient Talmudic recipe, the The authors are senior guides at Neot Kedumim
reed pen (kulmus) and the quill, samples of Park.
handmade parchment, boxes of phylacteries
and meticulously written mezuzah texts. The
crowning glory is when he melodiously reads
from a 200-year-old Torah scroll using the
three traditional Jewish melodies.
Zechariah said, "My family came to Israel
from Yemen almost 70 years ago, and the art
of writing the Torah has been passed down
through my family for generations. I learned
the secrets of the profession from my father
and uncle, and I had the privilege of teaching
my sons..."
When Zechariah copies the holy words, you
can see the concentration and intent as he
works. "...Before writing, I take immerse
myself in the mikveh [a ritual bath]. I say each
word aloud and, only then, do I write it. These
preparations are meant to ensure that the
writing is done with intent and comes from
the heart."