Torah Stitch by Stitch

It was nearly one year ago that I first learned of this amazing project being pursued by a Canadian fiber artist Temma Gentles.  Temma is creating a Torah entirely by embroidery stitches, cross-stitches to be exact.  She has named this endeavor "Torah Stitch By Stitch" and is busily recruiting volunteers to stitch up four verses at a time.  As she explains on the website: "Torah Stitch By Stitch honours the Five Books of Moses (Pentateuch) through the timeless medium of cross-stitch, a basic textile tradition in many cultures.  Participants from numerous national, linguistic and spiritual backgrounds - regardless of gender or craft skill - are joining hands and hearts to stitch 1463 individual panels of the Torah in Hebrew, 4 verses at a time."

If the image above is difficult to read, go directly to the website:

http://torahstitchbystitch.temmagentles.com/

I was excited to learn about this project and knew immediately that I had to be a part of it.  So I eagerly filled out the online form, paid my $18.00 and waited patiently for my kit to arrive.

I waited .... and waited ..... and waited.  I contacted Temma to inquire about my status only to learn that my kit had been mailed months ago.  A replacement kit was sent out ... more waiting ... more emails .... to make a tediously long story much shorter, one week ago my kit turned up!  Hurray!

 

Mailed in a plain white legal sized envelope, my complete kit arrived.  As there was not a postmark on the envelope, we can only imagine where in the world it has been traveling to between leaving Canada and arriving at my home in Texas.  I contacted Temma who was as thrilled as I was and I began stitching immediately.  Here is the first word of my portion which is from the book of Genesis, chapter 50, verses 14-17.  I have officially begun!

This portion is about Joseph's return to Egypt after he had traveled to bury his father in the land of Canaan and about his brothers reaction to their father's death.  Here is a translation that I found on the Chabad.org website here (Hebrew is read right-to-left, opposite from English):
 

		יגוַיִּשְׂאוּ אֹתוֹ בָנָיו אַרְצָה כְּנַעַן וַיִּקְבְּרוּ אֹתוֹ בִּמְעָרַת שְׂדֵה הַמַּכְפֵּלָה אֲשֶׁר קָנָה אַבְרָהָם אֶת הַשָּׂדֶה לַאֲחֻזַּת קֶבֶר מֵאֵת עֶפְרֹן הַחִתִּי עַל פְּנֵי מַמְרֵא:
14  And Joseph returned to Egypt, he and his brothers, and all who had gone up with him to bury his father, after he had buried his father.		ידוַיָּשָׁב יוֹסֵף מִצְרַיְמָה הוּא וְאֶחָיו וְכָל הָעֹלִים אִתּוֹ לִקְבֹּר אֶת אָבִיו אַחֲרֵי קָבְרוֹ אֶת אָבִיו:
15  Now Joseph's brothers saw that their father had died, and they said, "Perhaps Joseph will hate us and return to us all the evil that we did to him."		טווַיִּרְאוּ אֲחֵי יוֹסֵף כִּי מֵת אֲבִיהֶם וַיֹּאמְרוּ לוּ יִשְׂטְמֵנוּ יוֹסֵף וְהָשֵׁב יָשִׁיב לָנוּ אֵת כָּל הָרָעָה אֲשֶׁר גָּמַלְנוּ אֹתוֹ:
16  So they commanded [messengers to go] to Joseph, to say, "Your father commanded [us] before his death, saying,		טזוַיְצַוּוּ אֶל יוֹסֵף לֵאמֹר אָבִיךָ צִוָּה לִפְנֵי מוֹתוֹ לֵאמֹר:
17  'So shall you say to Joseph, "Please, forgive now your brothers' transgression and their sin, for they did evil to you. Now please forgive the transgression of the servants of the God of your father." ' " Joseph wept when they spoke to him.		יזכֹּה תֹאמְרוּ לְיוֹסֵף אָנָּא שָׂא נָא פֶּשַׁע אַחֶיךָ וְחַטָּאתָם כִּי רָעָה גְמָלוּךָ וְעַתָּה שָׂא נָא לְפֶשַׁע עַבְדֵי אֱלֹהֵי אָבִיךָ וַיֵּבְךְּ יוֹסֵף בְּדַבְּרָם אֵלָיו:

I have been working steadily on my portion, sometimes as I relax and watch a little television at night or while I wait in the car for my teenage boys (I am still their favorite chauffeur).   Here is where I am as of today .... approximately half-way ....

If you are interested in learning more about this massive undertaking click here; or in making a donation to the Torah Stitch By Stitch click here; or in stitching your own contribution click here or here or contact directly via email:  torahstitchbystitch@gmail.com.  Buttons are being solicited  to help attach the panels of portions together.  Click here for more information on the buttons requested.  Last of all, click here to see an artist's rendition of the final display as well as an article that appeared in The Canadian Jewish News, October 2, 2014.