The Patchwork Torah, Allison Maile Ofanansky
The Patchwork Torah, Allison Maile Ofanansky
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The Patchwork Torah

Author: Allison Maile Ofanansky

Narrator: Book Buddy Digital Media

Unabridged: 8 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Publisher: Lerner

Published: 01/01/2017

Includes: Bonus Material Bonus Material Included


Synopsis

As a child, David watches his grandfather, a Torah scribe or sofer, finish a Torah scroll for the synagogue. "A Torah is not something to be thrown away," his Grandfather explains. David's grandfather carefully stores the old Torah his new one has replaced in his cabinet, hoping to one day repair the letters so the Torah can be used again.

David grows up and becomes a sofer just like his grandfather. Through the years, people bring him damaged Torahs they have saved from danger and disaster - one damaged by Nazi soldiers during World War II, one damaged in a fire in a synagogue, and one in flooding during Hurricane Katrina. David stores each of these precious Torahs in his cabinet, until his granddaughter Leah gives him the idea to make a recycled Torah from the salvaged Torah scrolls.

Reviews

Assigned reading for MLIS 7421: Multicultural Youth Literature. The Patchwork Torah follows a few generations of scribes as they create beautiful Torahs - and hope to fix the ones that have been damaged by time and war. It's a sweet story for sure, and I loved the idea of keeping around all of these......more

What a beautiful and touching story involving the Torah!......more

Goodreads review by Alethea

I really liked this one! This is a multi-generational story that starts with the main character, David, as a small boy. His grandfather is a sofer, or scribe, and is responsible for making new Torahs to replace damaged ones. The holy books cannot be thrown away and he develops quite a collection, th......more

Goodreads review by Tasha

David’s grandfather was a scribe. He had been asked by the rabbi to write a new Torah for their synagogue because the old one was fading. David watched his grandfather work for a year on the new Torah and then store it away, explaining that a Torah is not something to be thrown out. Years later, as......more