The Sefer Haftorah:

Sefer Haftorah

History of the Haftorah

The Haftorah has been part of our liturgy since Roman times. They were introduced in order to counter a Roman decree that forbade the reading of the Torah in public assemblies. During the 9th century the Ben Asher family developed the system of cantillation and punctuation (trop and k'tiv). From that time onward it became traditional for the haftarot to be chanted. It was common during the Middle Ages to have books of the prophets in the Ark next to the Torah scrolls. When it became time to read from the Haftorah, a scroll was taken out of the Ark and the Haftorah was chanted. Books of haftorot in scroll form have been in use for more than a century but have almost been totally eclipsed by the printing press. The Haftorah, unlike the Torah, does not have to be chanted from a scroll (though many of us feel it would enhance the spirituality of the act if it were read from a scroll instead of a book).

The FJMC's Sefer Haftorah Scroll

When several members of the Federation of Jewish Men's Clubs were in Jerusalem, they had the opportunity to view a Sefer Haftorah scroll that had been commissioned for an Orthodox synagogue, and they immediately saw a number of possibilities if the FJMC commissioned its own scroll. The scroll has the outward appearance of a Torah scroll and contains all the Haftorot chanted during the year. It was written by one of the finest scribal groups in Israel. The differences the Sefer Haftorah and a Torah are readily apparent, however, as soon as one opens the scroll. The Haftorah scroll, unlike the Torah, has the vowels and the trop cantillation, which facilitates the chanting of it. Also, the Haftorah scroll lists the various sponsorships of the individual Haftarot.

The main purpose behind the commissioning of the Haftorah scroll was utilitarian in nature. We would now have a scroll that could travel from Men's Club to Men's Club to be used in congregations all across North America. It would create a sense of pride and accomplishment among the clubs and provide opportunities for them to highlight FJMC activities for members of their congregations. Additionally, the Federation would now have the scroll to use at its various conventions and meetings and for our regions to use at their retreats. The sponsorships would enable the FJMC to subsidize the administrative costs of transporting the scroll across North America. Link to list of sponsorships.

The FJMC dedicated its Sefer Haftorah Scoll at its 2003 international convention, and incoming international president Danny Stern chanted the first Haftorah from it. The scroll began to circulate to our regions and their clubs in September 2003. Clubs wishing to host the scroll in their synagogue will need to become sponsors of the scroll at a cost of $500 or $250 per sponsorship or partial sponsorship. Sponsorship will insure that the club will be included in the hosting schedule when the FJMC Haftorah scroll visits to their region.

Commissioning an Individual Haftorah Scroll

In addition to commissioning a complete Sefer Haftorah scroll, the FJMC also offers the opportunity for anyone to order an individual Haftorah for a chosen Shabbat.  The text is hand-written on the highest quality parchment, with vowels and cantillation, at a cost of $400 (includes shipping and handling).  This is ideal for parents or grandparents who want to make a memorable bar or bat mitzvah gift.  People have also ordered a Haftorah  to commemorate weddings, births, or the anniversary of a bar mitzvah.   In addition to the text from the Prophets, the parchment can be inscribed with a personalized dedication.

FJMC Sefer Haftorah Schedule for 2006

The number of weeks the Sefer Haftorah is scheduled to stay in a particular region is dependent on the number of clubs within the region and the number of those clubs that sponsored the commissioning of the scroll. Each regional president will set up the schedule within the region.
Questions about the delivery schedule should be directed to David Gerstein at gerstein1@verizon.net or (972) 596-2034.

FJMC Sefer Haftorah in the News

• On the Road
• Visit to Solomon Schechter School of Queens
• Yom Kippur in New Rochelle, NY
• Bringing Haftorah Scrolls Back Into The Service
• Sefer Haftorah Brochure

Alex Fisher and my son Robert are very close at shul. They attend different schools, but are inseparable when at Beth Hillel. We wanted to give Alex a special gift for his Bar Mitzvah.Alex is the kind of person who we were certain would be conducting a large part of the services on his Bar Mitzvah weekend and a Judaic gift with meaning was truly called for.

Ten days before Alex's Bar Mitzvah I walked into shul with a scroll. With all the time I spend at Beth Hillel, I was amazed by the special sense I felt carrying this scroll. Synagogue and scroll certainly go together. This scroll was different from any our Rabbi and Cantor had seen before. The scroll I'm referring to is a Haftorah scroll, written by a Sofer on the same parchment which the Holy Torah is written. Only this scroll had been personalized for Alex. I'm no expert but I have now seen this type of scroll twice. The first time was when Rabbi Charles Simon passed one around at the Midwest Region's kickoff dinner this year.

The first look at the scroll took my breath away - similar to the way the Torah looked to me the first time I read from it. And now this scroll! The artistic sense, the religious sense, the meaningful nature of a Bar Mitzvah.That was truly special I informed Rabbi Kensky that the Sameh family had purchased this for Alex and we requested our Rabbi's approval to have Alex read from the scroll during his Bar Mitzvah. Based on my description and before taking a look, the Rabbi was concerned that the scroll wouldn't have the vowels and trope. Fortunately, it had both. Rabbi Kensky proceeded to verify the accuracy of this rendition to the Chumash. Upon assertion of accuracy, Rabbi Kensky mentioned, ''The Haftorah scroll really captures the original sense of what the Haftarot were.These were originally written on scrolls and then combined into books.''

The Rabbi then gave his blessing, but requested the Cantor's approval as well prior to Alex's reading from the scroll. Often, one gives a Yad prior to a simcha so it may be used in the service.This was a bit early to give a gift, but the only way to verify that Alex would be comfortable reading from the scroll was for him to try it.

Cantor Wasser admired the scroll and stated, ''Having visited Eretz Yisroel with his family, this enhanced his physical and spiritual connection with the Holy Land in a very tangible and commemorative way.'' Alex read the first few verses flawlessly. That was enough of a test. Alex didn't even realize the scroll was for him until later that evening. In the end, Alex read from the scroll at his Bar Mitzvah and we hope he will read from it often.

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From the week of September 13th newsletter of the
Solomon Schechter School of Queens 76-16 Parsons Blvd., Flushing, N.Y.

The middle school students enjoyed a special treat during minyan on Tuesday. Barry Goodman, father of Zachary and Sasha and regional president of the Federation of Jewish Men's Clubs paid a visit to the minyan and brought with him a most unique Jewish artifact. Mr. Goodman showed us a Megillat Haftorot, a scroll that looks like a full-sized Torah but which contains all of the Haftorahs that are recited on Shabbatot and holidays. Unlike a Torah scroll, this Megillah contains vowels and trop markings. Its creation was commissioned by the Federation of Jewish Men's

Clubs and was recently completed by a scribe in Israel. Having just arrived in the United States for a tour of synagogues across North America, SSSQ was only the second stop on the scroll's journey. The Megillah was used last Shabbat at the Forest Hills Jewish Center and will be used next Shabbat at the Hollis Hills Jewish Center.

We thank Mr. Goodman for taking the time to bring the Megillat Haftorot to SSSQ.

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Yom Kippur in New Rochelle, NY

On Yom Kippur we were fortunate to have the Sefer Haftorah to be read for approximately 2000 congregants. Before the morning reading at 11:30 am Rabbi Jerome Epstein, the executive director of the USCJ introduced me to the congregation. I presented a past history of sefer haftorahs and gave credit to Rabbi Charles Simon, the FJMC executive director for having seen this beautiful scroll in Jerusalem and having the foresight to encourage the Federation to commission a sofer to produce this magnificent sefer haftorah.

I continued to explain that this beautiful scroll will go from conservative synagogue to conservative synagogue throughout the country for use on different shabbots or holidays.

The Sefer Haftorah was then taken out displayed and chanted by Dr. Murray Zung and paraded around the synagogue with the torahs. Over 50 congregants came over to congratulate me and the FJMC for this wonderful mitzvah.

For the afternoon service our Cantor Emeritus Lawrence Avery chanted the second haftorah from the scroll. It was so beautiful, it brought heartfelt emotions to many of us. Again I was congratulated and the Sefer Haftorah was paraded around the synagogue with the torahs and kept on display on the bimah in a torah holder for the remainder of the service.

Before the second reading Rabbi Sirner gave a short explanation of the sefer haftorah. Both Dr. Zung and Cantor Avery remarked how beautiful the haftorahs were inscribed with cantillations and vowels. Everyone who spoke to me asked if we could have it at least every Yom Kippur. Unfortunately I had to inform them it must be rotated from synagogue to synagogue but we would have it on an annual basis.

Congratulations to the FJMC, L'Shana Tova, good health to all, and may 5764 experience world peace.

Dr. Norman Gordon
Beth El Synagogue of New Rochelle, N.Y.

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Bringing Haftorah Scrolls Back Into The Service

Our schedule started with the New York Region on Sept 3. The scroll was delivered to the first club by the FJMC office upon the scroll's return from Israel, after some minor repair and corrections. It will continue to move by private vehicle to the New Jersey clubs for October visits, then onto the Middle Atlantic Region for the month of November. We will use a two day service to bring the scroll to the Great Lakes Region for December and the first half of January. It will then be shipped to New England for the second half of January.

The scroll will move by private vehicle to the Leadership Institute to be held in New Jersey, from where Anshe Darom will bring it to its region. The scroll will move within Anshe Darom during February before being shipped to the Southwest in the middle of March. It will then be shipped to Florida for the latter part of March and then to New Jersey to visit their last club. It will move by private vehicle to New York to complete their clubs in April.

The last club in New York will ship the scroll to the Midwest Region for the balance of April and most of May. The Western Region will receive the scroll at the end of May and for most of June. The scroll will then be shipped cross-country to the Seaboard Region for visits from the end of June through all of July. The final clubs for the year to receive the scroll will be in Florida who will have the scroll through the middle of Sept 2004.

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Sefer Haftorah Brochure _ (click to download the PDF, seferhaftorah.pdf)

The FJMC's Sefer Haftorah brochure with an order form on the back is now available in PDF form. We have removed the previous ordering information which referred you to the New York office and left the area blank for editing. The file is available in Adobe PDF form by clicking here. (seferhaftorah.pdf, 4.3 mb)

We encourage clubs to use this file to produce your own brochures with customized order information to assist in sales of the personlized Haftorah parchments. If you need any further help with this item, please contact the webmaster.