ABSTRACT
The life cycle rituals of the Sefer Torah demonstrate how the object’s materiality is intricately linked to its sacred status in Jewish ritual. This chapter views the Torah scroll as a performing object in order to analyze how its creation, weekly reading, and burial rituals build a material connection between the object and divinity. The communal rituals solidify a physical connection to the object, which is enforced through the spiritual connection between those present and the divinity the object represents. The theoretical framework of materialism and reenactment provides a foundation throughout the chapter to understand the object’s physical connection to the divine and its representation of a material embodiment of Jewishness. The congregation’s participation in the rituals utilizing the scroll fosters their communion with the object and with each other, nurturing a greater sense of community through their identification with the Torah scroll.
