The focus of the fall class is decoding of Hebrew letters, vowels, and simple syllable reading. The format is fun and interactive, with plenty of opportunity for practice. The class is designed for beginners but open to those seeking a review of rusty Hebrew skills as well. Although the focus is on prayerbook Hebrew, the reading skills will transfer to conversational or Israeli Hebrew.

Beginners' II in the spring will review letters and vowels, and focus on special reading rules, reading practice, and simple prayers.
By the end of the year you will be able to sound out prayers and follow along in services and on holidays.

This class is open to both readers and non-readers of Hebrew!

This class will be useful both for those who've had Intro to Judaism: Liturgy, and those who haven't.

Are you ready to get deeper into the meaning of prayer? This class will explore the details of Hebrew prayer either in the original or transliteration. If you already read some Hebrew, you'll get the chance to improve your skills. If you don't read Hebrew, no problem! You'll be able to learn the same material in transliteration. For those who've had the Liturgy section of the Intro to Judaism class, this class will go into more detail, and focus on the Hebrew.

We will examine the meaning of prayer as found in:

--vocabulary words and phrases

--order of the prayerbook

--interrelationships between prayers

--basic grammar elements

--Jewish history revealed in prayer

--evolution of prayer text

As time allows, we will also practice the melodies of basic prayers sung at Temple Beth Shalom.

The spring section will look at prayers unique to Saturday morning, the Torah service, and as time allows, holiday Hebrew at Purim and Passover.