AUDIO RESOURCES

Hebrew 101

Hebrew 102

Torah Trope

B'nai Mitzvah 

Current Offerings

Brush up on your Hebrew, learn how to chant Torah, understand the choreography of Shabbat morning prayer services and more with these classes taught by Sharon Mills. Sharon is a long-time member of Beth Meyer Synagogue. She has been teaching Hebrew to adults for more than 10 years, and loves sharing her knowledge with, and learning from, her students. She is also a b-mitzvah tutor at Beth Meyer. When not teaching Hebrew, she teaches Tai Chi to adults at various sites in Raleigh.

All classes are dependent on minimum enrollment. Members MUST be logged into ShulCloud to take advantage of member pricing. Please contact Sharon at millgarten@aol.com if you have any questions.

Register now:

Hebrew Reading 102

Sundays, 10-11 a.m. via in-person/Zoom
Jan. 8, 22, 29; Feb. 5, 12, 26; Mar. 5, 12, 19; Apr. 2
Cost: $75 ($90 for non-members)
For those who can read Hebrew, but not quickly enough to keep up in services. We will use the book Prayer Reading Skills. We will run drills and practice, with a focus on vocabulary and grammar. This is a continuation from Hebrew 101, but others may join. Click here to register.

Biblical Hebrew (Continued)

Sundays, 11 a.m.-noon via in-person/Zoom
Jan. 8, 22, 29; Feb. 5, 12, 26; Mar. 5, 12, 19; Apr. 2
Cost: $75 ($90 for non-members)
Using The First Hebrew Primer--The Adult Beginner's Path to Biblical Hebrew, 3rd Edition* (Simon, Resnikoff, Motzkin) as our textbook, students will learn to read and understand basic Biblical Hebrew. The focus is on vocabulary and grammar found in biblical texts. Since much of our prayerbook comes from biblical texts, this course will also help you understand and gain fluency with Jewish prayer. The textbook uses stories (including fairy tales!), biblical quotes, and guided reading from the Book of Ruth to give plenty of Hebrew reading practice in context. Taught by Sharon Mills. Basic Hebrew decoding skills are required (knowing the vowels and consonants and feeling comfortable sounding out words). If you have taken Hebrew 101 and Hebrew 102 with Sharon, you are ready! If you have also taken Hebrew 103, you will reinforce what you have learned while learning new vocabulary and grammatical concepts. Click here to register.

Shabbat Liturgy

Sundays, 7-8 p.m. via Zoom
Jan. 8, 22, 29; Feb. 5, 12, 26; Mar. 5, 12, 19; Apr. 2
Cost: $75 ($90 for non-members)
Why do they do that? Take a deep dive into the ritual and choreography of Shabbat morning services. We’ll use recordings from previous weeks to break down each service into easy-to-understand sections. Hebrew ability is helpful, but not required. No textbook needed — but you might find it useful to have your own copy of Siddur Lev Shalem. Click here to register.

Previously Held Classes

An Introduction to Modern Hebrew

All Hebrew readers who are ready to venture into modern Hebrew are welcome! This course will be taught by Shoshi Bramin via Zoom. Students will need to purchase “Let's Talk, Modern Hebrew for Teens,” which can be purchased online anywhere you like to buy books.

Hebrew Reading 101

This class is for true beginners. We start at the beginning, learning the letters and vowels, and how to put them together to read words. We will use the book Learn Hebrew Today: Alef-Bet for Adults. At the end of the class, students will be able to read basic blessings.

Hebrew Reading 103

This class is for those who are reading Hebrew (even if slowly) and would like to increase their proficiency. We will use the book, Alef Isn’t Enough, which includes acquisition of key vocabulary from the Siddur, the Haggadah, and the Tanakh.

Hebrew Reading 103, Continued

Continued from the summer/fall series, this class is for those who are reading Hebrew (even if slowly) and would like to increase their proficiency. We will use the book, Alef Isn’t Enough, which includes acquisition of key vocabulary and grammar from the Siddur, the Haggadah, and the Tanakh. (If you have not previously been in this class but would like to join in, we’d love to have you! We will be starting on Chapter 5 in Aleph Isn’t Enough. We have covered about 30 vocabulary words, 8 roots, and 4 grammar concepts. So, if you have studied a little bit of grammar and vocabulary previously, you may be a good fit for the class.)

Hebrew Reading 104

This course is designed for students who can read prayers in Hebrew, but would like to become more fluent in their reading and dive deeper into the Hebrew grammar, vocabulary, and context of the Shabbat morning liturgy. We’ll focus on the structure of the Shabbat morning service, bimah choreography, and skills such as having an Aliyah to the Torah, opening the ark, and dressing the Torah. We will use videos from pre- and post-Covid services at Beth Meyer to gain a better understanding of how Shabbat morning services are structured, what happens on the bimah, what happens on special occasions (holidays, b'nai mitzvah, aufruf, baby naming), and what changes have been made because of the pandemic.

Biblical Hebrew

Using The First Hebrew Primer--The Adult Beginner's Path to Biblical Hebrew, 3rd Edition (Simon, Resnikoff, Motzkin) as our textbook, students will learn to read and understand basic Biblical Hebrew. The focus is on vocabulary and grammar found in biblical texts. Since much of our prayerbook comes from biblical texts, this course will also help you understand and gain fluency with Jewish prayer. The textbook uses stories (including fairy tales!), biblical quotes, and guided reading from the Book of Ruth to give plenty of Hebrew reading practice in context. Basic Hebrew decoding skills are required (knowing the vowels and consonants and feeling comfortable sounding out words). If you have taken 101 and 102 with Sharon, you are ready! If you have also taken 103, you will reinforce what you have learned while learning new vocabulary and grammatical concepts.

Torah Trope and Torah Trope Refresher — Learn to Chant from The Torah

If you can read Hebrew and carry a simple tune, you can learn to chant Torah. Learn all of the basics and sign up to read a Torah portion. We will use the book The Art of Torah Cantillation by Portnoy and Wolff. At the end of the class, students will be able to read basic blessings. 

Did you learn trope but haven't used it in a while? Feeling rusty? Or perhaps you’d just like a “refresher” class? If you’ve already taken a trope class with Sharon Mills or already know trope but need a refresher, take our Torah Trope Class at half price!