@nyjewishweek: On Monday evenings, Leana Tapnack teaches Jewish scribal arts at her dining room table in her Upper West Side apartment. Tapnack is a soferet, or Jewish scribe. A sofer is usually a male scribe from the haredi Orthodox community, but Tapnack is among a new generation of scribes breaking this traditional gender barrier. "I really love teaching, and just welcoming more people into this world because it's something that has been closed to people outside of a very particular demographic for a very long time," she says. We spoke with Tapnack and her students at one of her recent Monday night classes. "We always have the second hour as an open drop-in — it’s open to the public, if you want to just get a taste without committing to a full class. I really really would love for you to come stop by and check it out," she tells us.