Current Offerings
Brush up on your Hebrew (or start from scratch!), understand the choreography of the Shabbat morning service, and more with these classes. Classes are $75 for members and $90 for prospective members. All classes are dependent on minimum enrollment.
Register now:
Hebrew Reading 101
Sundays, Aug. 27; Sept. 10, 24; Oct. 15, 22, 29; Nov. 5, 19; Dec. 10, 17; 11 a.m.-noon, in-person/Zoom
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. Taught by Sharon Mills. Click here to register.
Hebrew Reading 103 (Prayerbook Hebrew)
Sundays, Aug. 27; Sept. 10, 24; Oct. 15, 22, 29; Nov. 5, 19; Dec. 10, 17; 10-11 a.m., in-person/Zoom
This class is for those who are reading Hebrew (even if slowly) and would like to increase their proficiency. We will use the book Prayerbook Hebrew the Easy Way, which includes acquisition of key vocabulary and grammar from the Siddur. Taught by Sharon Mills. Click here to register.
Shabbat Liturgy
Sundays, Aug. 27; Sept. 10; Oct. 1, 15, 22, 29; Nov. 5, 19; Dec. 10, 17; 7-8 p.m., Zoom
Why do they do that? Take a deep dive into the ritual and choreography of the Shabbat morning service. 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. Taught by Sharon Mills. Click here to register.
Biblical Hebrew Year Two
Sundays, Aug. 27; Sept. 10; Oct. 15, 22, 29; Nov. 5, 19; Dec. 3, 10, 17; 7-8 p.m., Zoom
This class is designed for those who participated in our Biblical Hebrew class in 2022-23. If you would like to join this class, but did not attend last year, please contact the instructor.
Using The First Hebrew Primer — The Adult Beginner’s Path to Biblical Hebrew, Third Edition as our textbook, students will continue working on reading and understanding basic biblical Hebrew, with a focus on vocabulary and grammar. 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, quotes, and guided reading from the Book of Ruth to give plenty of Hebrew reading practice in context. Taught by Amy Ripps. Click here to register.
Previously Held Classes
Hebrew Reading 102
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.
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.
Biblical Hebrew (Continued)
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.
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!
Hebrew Reading: Review, Practice, Prepare
Sundays, June 11 & 25; July 9, 16 &23; 7-8 p.m., Zoom
Cost: $50 for BMS members/$75 for non-members.
This 5-week session is designed for adult students to review Hebrew reading rules, practice what they have learned in the past, and prepare for upcoming Fall classes. We will choose a prayer or two to focus on (you may list your requests when you register) and use those prayers to review reading rules and practice oral reading. We will do some group reading as a whole class and also in breakout sessions. No textbook required. Prerequisite—familiarity with Hebrew consonants and vowels.
An Introduction to Modern Hebrew
Wednesdays, June 14, 21 & 28; July 5, 12, 19 & 26; August 2, 9 & 16, Zoom
Cost: $100 for BMS members/$150 for non-members
Join us this summer for a 10-week introduction to modern Hebrew offered on Zoom. This course will introduce you to basic vocabulary, useful phrases, and foundational grammatical concepts in modern Hebrew. Learners will improve their Hebrew fluency (reading and comprehension) and gain the skills to begin conversing with Hebrew speakers. Participants should have proficiency in basic decoding of Hebrew letters/vowel, but this course will include a refresher for those who need to brush up before moving ahead. Please purchase "Let's Talk, Modern Hebrew for Teens" prior to the start of class. Taught by Shoshi Braman.
