The Kedusha Project was founded in response to the concentration of kedusha (Jewish sancta) production in a small number of Israeli-centered enterprises, which proactively exclude women, queer individuals, disabled individuals, converts, and non-Orthodox Jews from scribal practice and purchase. These facilities consume the hides of animals that are raised and killed inhumanely and waste hides en masse. In spite of exploitative wages and indirect subsidies by the Israeli state, the industry’s model tends towards discrimination against non-Orthodox Jews both in price and quality

By contrast, we operate based on the following code of ethics:

My work as a sofer/soferet/sofereh will be dedicated to the mitzvot of kedusha and to the access of all Jews to these mitzvot.

I will always scribe in accordance with halakha and will not attempt to deal in unkosher kedusha. I will not deal in kedusha with sources I know to be unreliable. When unsure about matters of halakha, I will consult with other scribes and others knowledgeable about the law.

As a scribe, I will maintain membership in good standing in a Jewish community and will lead my community by example, including by maintaining good relationships and avoiding public profanation of Shabbat and yom tov. I will involve the community in my scribal work and prioritize its needs in my practice.

I will share my knowledge with aspiring scribes and the broader scribal community. I will always be collegial to all fellow practitioners, including those who practice a tradition different to my own.

I will not participate in any scribal practice that excludes or discriminates against women, queer folks, converts, disabled individuals, or any other group of Jewish adults committed to scribal work or purchase consistent with this code of ethics. I will accept a colleague’s self-attestation as sufficient evidence of their Jewishness unless a substantive reason exists to require further clarification. I will accept the validity of any conversion constituting tevilah, beit din, and (if applicable) milah and will not question the worthiness of the converting beit din.

I will scribe sustainably and verify the dignity in both life and death of the animals who are foundational to my work.

I will charge a reasonable fee for my services and will aspire to make my scribal products financially accessible to all Jews. I will charge an equal rate of all customers, making exceptions only for volunteer work or to accommodate a customer’s financial need.

I will provide my customers with full transparency regarding my communal Jewish practice, my Shabbat practice, and my standards on sustainability and animal dignity. I will conduct myself professionally with all clients and will adhere to all contractual obligations in a timely manner.

I will continually learn and improve my scribal practice.