In the Jewish religion, reading of the Torah is central to ritual, community gatherings and daily life.
Historically, the Torah has often been printed on delicate animal-skin paper, vulnerable to damage from the elements and from human handling. Thus, for thousands of years, the sacred texts have been accompanied by a special tool — the yad, an instrument used for pointing when reading small print in the scroll of the Torah.
Yads have been created in countless forms and styles, and the largest collection in America belongs to Clay Barr. Her prized collection is on tour now and currently on view in Atlanta at the Breman Museum in the exhibition “The Guiding Hand: The Barr Foundation Judaica Collection of Torah Pointers.”
In this interview, Barr speaks with “City Lights” host Lois Reitzes to talk more about the yadim she collects and the history they can teach us.
“I have one made of bullets, that actually is one that was made during the second World War by someone who was isolated on a Pacific island and who found bullet shells and put them together to create a fascinating Torah pointer,” Barr says.
