To whom it may concern,

 

It is with great pleasure that I write this letter of recommendation on behalf of Jamie Shear, a talented and gifted artist, calligrapher and Sofer.

 

I have known Mr. Shear for nearly seven years. During this period, Mr. Shear has designed a beautiful, aesthetically pleasing Ketubbah exclusively for the use of Shaare Zion Congregation. He worked with a committee of lay leaders to produce an illuminated text that was pleasing to the eye, met the sophisticated tastes of discriminating women and was within the synagogue's budget. The original text was calligraphed in the style of a Sofer Stam and each time a Ketubbah is purchased, Mr. Shear personally fills in the pertinent information in a style that matches seamlessly with the text that has now been lithographed.

 

As a human being, Mr. Shear is a gentle, nurturing individual. Mr. Shear is at once a religiously observant, pious, young Jew, with purity of soul and spirituality and at the same time a thoroughly modern young adult of the twenty-first century with a wide-ranging taste in music that ranges from Hasidic to Classical Rock. Mr. Shear has gained the respect of the leading Orthodox rabbis in Montreal and by extension shows the deepest respect for non-Orthodox rabbis and lay people alike. His skill as a Sofer commended him to write his first Torah scroll for use by one of the leading Torah scholars in Montreal and his artistic skills make him one of the most sought after calligraphers and Ketubbah designers inside and outside of Montreal.

 

Supporting Mr. Shear in his artistic and scribal efforts can only benefit the Jewish people as a whole, to say nothing of the lasting credit it will bring to his direct patrons, clients and benefactors.

Sincerely yours,

 

Rabbi Lionel Moses

 

Shaare Zion Congregation
Montréal, Québec
Tel.: (514) 481-7727