"A custom-made Ketubah is a memorable work of art..."

"Mr. Shear encourages a creative input by the couple..."

A Ketubah is a part of every Jewish couple's wedding commitment. For many couples, however, having their ketubah artistically decorated and hand scribed is an opportunity to make the tradition something very special and personal. Jamie Shear (Zalman Leib), scribe and artist can help you do just that.

This young Montrealer received his Sofer STaM (Torah, Teffilin and
Mezzuzahs) qualification from the Va'ad Mishmeret STaM in B'nei Brak. While declaring oneself a scribe may be a rare occupational choice for a young man these days, Mr. Shear's career choice is something to which he is very dedicated. "As a teenager, I loved looking at the Beautiful letters of a Torah scroll. I was deeply moved and inspired to write one, I was determined take the first step by finding myself a teacher."

The scrolls that Mr. Shear works on, require an enormous amount of concentration and the laws that they are based on are almost endless. For instance, in a Mezzuza or Teffilin, every letter has to be written in order, and if a single letter is omitted then it renders the whole project un-kosher. The discipline is tremendous for if a scribe did not have the appropriate thoughts or intentions while writing,then these scrolls would be unfit for use. "The reliability upon the scribe to adhere to these laws is very high because these are things that cannot be detected from the naked eye during inspection."

Mr. Shear spends his mornings at this painstaking craft and his afternoons are spent decorating ketubahs for weddings. "My intense morning schedule is rewarding in itself, but I also love the freedom of expression when it comes to illuminating the Ketubah."

Mr. Shear encourages a creative input by the couple by taking colour schemes, floral designs, geometric patterns or meaningful symbolism in order to create their very own Ketubah that will hang in the home forever. It serves as a constant reminder of the commitment and dedication to one another, and at difficult times, it brings the couple back to the glory of the wedding day.

"The greatest thing is the friendship that is created with myself and the couple. It is a wonderful thing to participate in those special moments with the bride and groom in preparation for their most holiest of days. I am reaffirmed each time that I myself am fulfilling the Mitzvah of making the bride and groom happy."

Mr. Shear has participated in various international art-shows and has collaborated with several artists. A recent collaboration was done with his sister Mindy Shear in a successful gallery exhibition here in Montreal.

Full of character, Mr. Shear's work can be suited for any taste, from traditional to something a little more modern. His unique work takes on an art deco work while still maintaining its rich symbolism and tradition. The level of beauty and craftsmanship in creating Ketubahs can easily cross into the domain of top-level art work and Mr. Shear's expertise and talent has demonstrated such a feat.

- Erin Selby, Montreal Suburban

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