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Linda’s tallit- complete

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Linda started rabbinical school about ten years ago, when her kids were still pretty young. It’s been a long road balancing home life, work and school. This Thursday, Linda graduates as a full fledged rabbi.  Linda had initially thought of having her own rabbinic mentors tie the tzitit with her. In the end, she decided to have her husband and her children, now grown,  who supported her through this adventure, tie the tzitzit with her.
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As always ,tying the tzitzit was a mixture of the holy and the silly. I was able to get Linda’s daughter to understand the knots she would be doing by saying the words “ Chinese Staircase”. The daughter had spend hours making friendship bracelets on the hour long commute by  bus on the way to an arts camp for several summers. She was expert. Her brother, did fine once he understood it was a knot he used back stage in the theatre. The kids gave their parents pointers.

The tzitzit were, after not very long, tied. 100_1447

This tallit is a bit grander than than most. Linda is a rabbi and her tallit needs to be a bit more fabulous than those of the folks sitting in the pews. Thirty years ago, a rabbi would have a robe to wear on ceremonial occasions. Those robes are mostly out of ecclesiastical style, in the corner of the Jewish world that Linda inhabits. So, the tallit needs to impart a bit of the authority of her position.
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Comments

  1. SandyMay 10, 2011 at 2:33 PM

    I see now how you solved the issue with the miscutting of the cream silk at the sides. I wasn't quite sure what you meant with the verbal description before. I do think it adds to the 'fabulousness' of this tallit.

    Well done. I think this will be wonderful worn at the front of the congregation. a great visual.
    Sandy in the UK

    ReplyDelete
  2. Sarah JacobsMay 10, 2011 at 2:52 PM

    Sandy -

    My husband thought that it looked like an Epicopalian Bishop's robes..not that he has that much experience in an Episcopal or Anglican church...but the tallit does have a bit of that high church glam.

    ReplyDelete

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