

Julie Seltzer is one of a small group of women Torah scribes, and became enamored with the Hebrew language when she took her first trip to Israel at the age of 18. She began to further explore the meaning of Hebrew letters and the scribal arts while working at the Isabella Freedman Jewish Retreat Center in northwest Connecticut.
Julie studied scribal arts with Jen Taylor Friedman, the first woman we know of to write a sefer Torah. During a subsequent trip to Israel, Julie studied with Shoshana Guggenheim, the lead scribe of the Women’s Torah Project (a women’s collective Torah scroll), and Shoshana’s teacher Dov Laimon, an Orthodox man who teaches women despite his own adherence to Orthodox Judaism’s prohibition to use a scroll written by a woman.
Upon returning to the United States, Julie apprenticed with Reform scribe Neil Yerman in Westchester. Her first scroll was a Shir Hashirim – a Song of Songs scroll. Julie’s first complete Torah was written while on display at the Contemporary Jewish Museum in San Francisco, where she worked as a Scribe-in-Residence.
Julie enjoys the discipline and meditative practice that being a Soferet STa”M, a scribe, provides. She says that, “Writing itself is what interested me most: how a finite number of letters can combine into an infinite number of unique sentences, and function as a means for communication between people across time and space.”
Frequently Asked Questions
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Pledge Opportunities Here is where you can pick specific books, selections and passages to dedicate.
Special Passages
$18,000 per selection
Limited to one selection per family
Special Biblical Stories
$5,000 per selection
Will be open to multiple selections
Birth of Moses (Ex 2: 1-10)
Other Selections
Special Selections
$3,600 per selection
Will be open to multiple dedications
Weekly Portions/parshiyot
$1,800 per selection
Will be open to multiple selections
Dedication Parashiot is a meaningful way to take part in Torat Chayim.
Do you remember the name of the Bar or Bat Mitzvah portion or that of a family member? If not, just bring us the date you were first called to the Torah. One of our Clergy or Torah Scholars will determine and discuss with you the Parasha for that date.
The Book of Bereshit (Genesis)
B’reishit
Noach
Lech-Lecha
Vayera
Chaya Sara
Toldot
Vayetze
Vayishlach
Vayeshev
Miketz
Vayigash
Vayehi
The Book of Shemot (Exodus)
Shemot
Va’era
Bo
B’shalach
Yitro
Mishpatim
Teruma
T’tzaveh
Ki Tisa
Vayak’heil
P’kudei
The Book of Vayikra (Leviticus)
Vayikra
Tzav
Shemini
Tazria
Metzora
Acharei Mot
Kedoshim
Emor
B’har
B’chukotai
The Book of Ba-midbar (Numbers)
B’midbar
Naso
B’haalot’cha
Sh’lach-L’cha
Korach
Chukat
Balak
Pinchas
Matot
Masei
The Book of Devarim (Deuteronomy)
Devarim
Va’et’chanan
Eikev
R’eih
Shoftim
Ki Teitze
Ki Tavo
Nitzavim
Vayeilech
Haazinu
V’zot Habracha