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Episode 28: The Torah at Her Fingertips

Batya Sperling Milner’s recent bat mitzvah was groundbreaking; it was the first held in an Orthodox synagogue in which the Torah portion was chanted from braille. In this episode of Can We Talk?, Batya talks about the highlights of her bat mitzvah and her mother, Aliza Sperling, discusses her groundbreaking scholarship on blind people reading Torah within the bounds of Jewish law. We talk about the first ever braille trope system—one created especially for Batya. Batya describes her love of Torah, her commitment to Jewish law, and her desire to be recognized for who she is, rather than defined by a disability.

Released February 7, 2019
  • Batya Sperling Milner reading her Torah portion in Braille. Photo credit Evelyn Hockstein.

  • Batya Sperling Milner practicing for her Bat Mitzvah. Photo credit Evelyn Hockstein.

  • Aliza Sperling, Josh Milner, Batya Sperling Milner, and her sister Orly. Photo courtesy of Aliza Sperling.

  • Batya Sperling Milner Reading Torah
  • Batya Sperling Milner practicing for her Bat Mitzvah
  • Batya Sperling Milner and her family

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How to cite this page

Jewish Women's Archive. "Episode 28: The Torah at Her Fingertips." (Viewed on December 11, 2024) <https://jwa.org/podcasts/canwetalk/episode-28-torah-at-her-fingertips>.