Translation is only the first step in our workflow. Most of the other steps don’t call for a knowlege of Aramaic, but do have other skillsets that we need.
Translation is obviously the starting point. While some ability to read Aramaic is important, you needn’t be fluent if you have access to an existing translation to refer to when you get stuck. (Just read our copyright page for guidelines on how to avoid infringing on existing copyrights.)
(A side note about translation: Some of our volunteers sign up for dapim that look interesting, and treat the translation of their pages as an end unto itself. Others are already engaged in learning gemara with a chevruta, and simply write up the section that they’ve learned at the end of each session as a way to review what they just learned; once they’ve accumulated an entire daf then they send that in.)
Editing is the next step. For this, you need a good sense of English usage, but you are not expected to cross-check everything against the original Aramaic.
Checking follows this. Basically, this involves reading the edited translation and the original Aramaic side-by-side to check for accuracy and completeness.
At this point in the process, a daf is considered completely translated and the tag “unedited” can be removed from that page.
Scriptwriting or adaptation means turning a completed daf into a series of segments, formatted as dialog.
Producing a podcast episode means verifying that the adaptation is complete and arranging for voice talent to record it. Generally we’d like a producer to take responsibility for a sequence of several consecutive episodes, so that they will have the same voices and a sense of continuity.
Voice talent records the script. Sometimes voice talent will need to be local to Boston and get together at a central location to record a bunch of stuff together, but sometimes recordings can be done by individuals or small groups wherever is convenient to them. Assignment of parts and coordination of recording sessions is the responsibility of the producer.
Mixing involves taking the segments that the producer has collected and assembling them into a finished podcast.
If any of these roles interest you, please sign up for an account and list your areas of interest at the appropriate point in the form.
Thanks! We hope you’ll join us!
