Different learning/work styles

Occasionally, my husband and I read Torah at our synagogue. To read Torah you essentially have to memorize a passage of text and the musical notations connected with the text. The Torah scroll does not contain vowels, any indications of breaks between verses or the notations for the cantillations.

I noticed a few months back that my husband and I study for our readings in entirely different ways. He works in a methodical way, learning each verse flawlessly before he goes on to learn the next verse. I have trouble learning that way. I do better going over and over the whole assigned chunk of text. As I go over the text some un-related chunks begin to come together. Eventually the learned chunks out number the unlearned chunks and finally the whole text is complete.

I'm working on the Schechter parochet/ark curtain in a similar way. The earth is mostly done, but not completely done. I have added some, but not all of the shimmer to the water, the lettering on the arch is done but it badly needs pressing and thread trimming. I still have to do the main lettering of the piece as well as the names of biblical prophets that will border the piece.

Never the less, the parochet is now more done than not done. My seemingly haphazard work methods allow me to keep working away, quitting a piece of the job when I'm frustrated with it and spending time on another aspect of the work.

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Connecting with the past

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sarah in nyc

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