Dylan, use this page 3-4 times each week to prepare for your Bar Mitzvah. To ensure simcha success, please use the tools and downloadable items provided here to learn and practice your training assignments between visits with Cantor Green. For questions, e-mail me at cantor@kehillatbethisrael.com or call/text me at 613-327-3984.
VERY IMPORTANT – MUST READ: KBI B’nei Mitzvah Handbook
| DATE/TIME | GOALS | HOMEWORK ASSIGNED |
| Th, Nov 18,
4:00pm Skype |
Intro to B’nei Mitzvah Process
Intro to Webpage Goal Setting Lesson Time |
STUDY METHOD (always have your printouts/pages in front of you)
1. Listen to the assigned audio files a whole bunch of times, over several days. Let it sink in! 2. Sing along with the audio files many times until it is identical, smooth and confident. If there are glitches, use the slider to “rewind” and review a word or two at a time until identical. 3. Sing the whole assignment without the audio file (as you will in your next lesson). Use this approach every week, and knock my socks off with how well you know it! AND, 4. every week, you MUST review at least once, everything learned to date, and FIX any glitches. Homework for this week: Get a looseleaf binder (with sheet pockets) Confirm you have a working Skype account, and find Cantor Green at jgreen361 Print your Haftara Trope sheet (PDF), very preferably in colour (since the trope colours are important) |
| We, Nov 25
4pm SKYPE |
Prepare Haftara Trope | Learn Haftara Trope like a song (1st half – up to first “sof pasuk“) (MP3)
No lesson next week, but do next week’s homework… |
| Dec 2 | NO LESSON | Learn Haftara Trope (2nd half, from Pazeir) (MP3)
Make sure you also practice the first half, from last week, and learn to go from one to the next smoothly (that’s part of the reason for Step 4, above!) |
| We, Dec 9
4pm SKYPE |
Review Haftara Trope (all)
Prepare Blessing before Haftara |
Learn Blessing Before Haftara (PDF | MP3) |
| We, Dec 16
4pm SKYPE |
Review blessing before Haftara
Prepare Haftara v1-2 |
Finish learning the Blessing before the Haftara (from last week) (PDF | MP3). Please make sure you use the study technique in the top box of this column, and I recommend ONLY spending 20 minutes at a time, ie., on each step above, but if you need more time to learn it, do a fourth sitting of 20 minutes. Spread out your learning over the course of the week. |
| We, Dec 23 | NO LESSON – CJG ON VACATION | Keep practicing your blessing before the Haftara! |
| We, Dec 30
4pm Skype |
Review Haftara blessing
Prepare Haftara first verse or two |
CANCELLED |
| We, Jan 6
4pm Skype |
Review Haftara blessing
Prepare Haftara first verse or two |
Print your Haftara in colour (so your tropes are in colour) |
| We, Jan 13
4pm Skype |
Review Haftara to date
Prepare Haftara 1:3 and first 1/3 of 1:4 up to “Adonai Tz’va-ot” |
Learn Haftara 1:3 and first half of 1:4 (up to “Adonai T’zva-ot“) (MP3)
Keep practicing everything learned so far In Blessing before Haftara, make sure “Adonai” in the middle is the correct melody (check back in the audio file). |
| We, Jan 20
4pm SKYPE |
Review Haftara to date
Prepare rest of 1:4 |
Fix tune of beginning of v4 (“ki tomar edom“)
Learn rest of 1:4 (MP3) |
| We, Jan 27
NEW SCHEDULE 4pm-4:20pm |
Review Haftara to date
Prepare 1:5 and 1:6 up to adonav |
Learn Haftara 1:5 and first part of 1:6 up to adonav (MP3) |
| We, Feb 3
4-4:20pm |
Review Haftara to date
Prepare rest of haftara 1:6 |
Learn Haftara 1:6, first two thirds, up to adonai tz’va-ot (MP3) |
| We, Feb 10
4-4:20pm |
Review Haftara to date
Prepare Haftara rest of 1:6 |
1. Learn Haftara rest of 1:6 (MP3)
2. Go back and smooth out 1:4, 1:5, and 1:6, making sure you’re singing the same notes as in the audio file. Particularly, focus on the words you circled. |
| We, Feb 17
4-4:20pm |
Review Haftara to date
Prepare Haftara 1:7 |
Smooth out 1:4 (v’ha-am asher za-am…)
Smooth out 1:5 (v’atem tom’ru) Use the audio files to ensure you’re practicing them properly Learn Haftara 1:7 (MP3) |
| We, Feb 24
4-4:20pm |
Review Haftara to date (focus on v 4 and 5)
Prepare Haftara 1:8 |
NO LESSON – DYLAN GOT BRACES AND WAS UNCOMFORTABLE
Learn Haftara 1:8 (MP3) |
| We, Mar 3
4-4:20-pm |
Review Haftara to date
Prepare Haftara 1:9 and first part of 1:10 |
Touch up Haftara 1:7 and 1:8 using the audio files from the last 2 weeks |
| We, Mar 10
4-4:20pm |
Review Haftara to date | Fix the melody of va-amar-tem in v6 and beh-eh-mor-chem of v7 (both are zakeif Gadol tropes)
Finish smoothing out verses 7 and 8 from last week |
| We, Mar 17
4-4:20pm |
Review Haftara from v6
Prepare Haftara 1:9 and first part of 1:10 |
Work a bit on the melody of the first 5 words of verse 8.
Learn Haftara 1:9 and first 5 words (up to d’latayim) of 1:10 (MP3) |
| We, Mar 24
4-4:20pm |
Review Haftara from v6
Prepare Haftara rest of 1:10 and first part of 1:11 |
Learn Haftara rest of 1:10 and first part of 1:11 (MP3) |
| We, Mar 31
4-4:20pm |
Review Haftara to date
Prepare rest of Haftara 1:11 |
Learn Haftara rest of 1:11 (MP3)
Touch up and smooth out verse 1:10 and first half of 1:11, and connect them up! |
| We, Apr 7
4-4:20pm |
Review Haftara from top of p2 | Re-learn (use the homework technique from the beginning) Haftara 1:11 from last week. (MP3)
Don’t forget to practice everything learned so far at least once, after you’ve finished learning 1:11. |
| We, Apr 14
4-4:20pm |
Review Haftara from v10
Prepare Haftara 1:12 |
Work on v10 – make it all match the audio file. Use the homework technique again on it.
Learn Haftara 1:12 (MP3) |
| We, Apr 21
4-4:20pm |
Review Haftara from v10 | Touch up (using the homework technique) verses 1:10-12, making sure musical notes and accents of the words are really the same as the audio file. |
| We, Apr 28
4-4:20pm |
Prepare 1:13, first half (to end of line) | Learn 1:13, first half (to end of line) (MP3)
Go back and keep smoothing out 1:9 and 1:10 (separately). |
| We, May 5
4-4:20pm |
Review Haftara from 1:9
Prepare rest of 1:13 |
Learn rest of 1:13 (MP3)
Continue touching up v11-13, particularly “chay-fetz”. |
| We, May 12
4-4:20pm |
Review Haftara from 1:9
Prepare Haftara 1:14 |
Learn Haftara 1:14 (MP3)
Work on 1:6-7 – melody of some of the tropes needs some practice. Please use the audio files |
| We, May 19 | Review Haftara to date | Haftara 1:13 and 1:14 need some more work. Finish that this week and make them smooth |
| We, May 26 | NO LESSON – CANTOR AT CONVENTION | Go back to first half of haftara and re-acquaint yourself WELL with it — it seems you may have forgotten some of the older material. It’s time to get it back in shape! Use the audio files for each verse and SING ALONG. Be honest with yourself: wherever you are singing something different or were about to, CIRCLE that word/words, and stop to practice them and re-learn how they go. |
| We, Jun 2 | Review Haftara to date
Prepare Haftara 2:1 and part of 2:2 |
Learn Haftara 2:1 and first part of 2:2 up to al leiv (MP3) |
| We, Jun 9
4-4:20pm |
Review Haftara from p2
Prepare Haftara 2:1 and part of 2:2 |
Learn Haftara 2:1 and first part of 2:2 up to al leiv (MP3) |
| We, Jun 16
4-4:20pm |
Review Haftara from p2
|
Re-study 2:1 (MP3) so that the tropes are correct and you’re singing exactly the same notes as CJG |
| We, Jun 23
4-4:20pm |
Review Haftara from 1:11
Prepare Rest of 2:2 |
Learn Haftara rest of 2:2 (MP3) |
| We, June 30 We, July 7 |
NO LESSONS – CJG ON VACATION | Keep practicing everything learned so far |
| **Th, July 15
4-4:20pm |
Review Haftara from 1:11 through 2:2
Prepare Haftara 2:3 |
Learn Haftara 2:3 (MP3) |
| We, Jul 21
4-4:20pm |
Review Haftara from 1:11
Prepare Haftara 2:4 |
Learn Haftara 2:4 (MP3) |
| We, July 28
4-4:20pm |
Review Haftara from Chapter 2
Prepare Haftara 2:5 |
Learn Haftara 2:5 (MP3) |
| We, Aug 4,
4-4:20pm |
Review Haftara from Chapter 2
Prepare Haftara two thirds of Haftara 2:6 |
Learn Haftara 2:6 (MP3) |
| We, Aug 11
**4-4:30pm |
Review Haftara to date
Prepare Haftara 2:7 (last verse!) |
Learn Haftara 2:7 (MP3)
Go back to the last 2 pages, and practice them, but FOCUS on the TROPE! They show you most of the correct musical directions (pointing up and down; being over or under the word — both show you the directions of the notes to sing) |
| We, Aug 18
4-4:20pm |
Review Haftara from second-to-last page
If time, prepare Blessing 1 after Haftara, first half. |
Dylan forgot about lesson |
| We, Aug 25 | Dylan forgot about lesson | |
| We, Sep 1
4-4:20pm |
Review Haftara from second-to-last page
If time, prepare Blessing 1 after Haftara, first half. |
Go through Haftara, and highlight or circle in colour every “tip’cha” word, and practice it with the correct two-note trope. It’s just up one tone from the beginning of the word, at the accented syllable. Use the audio files as needed to remind you, or confirm that you’re doing it right. |
| We Sep 8 | No Lesson – RH | We’ll be using these resources for the next 6 weeks:
Blessings after Haftara (PDF | Audio: Blessing 1 | 2 | 3 | 4) This week, learn first half of Blessing 1 after Haftara (up to Emet Va-tzedek) |
| We, Sep 15 | No lesson – YK | This week, learn second half of Blessing 1 after Haftara |
| Th, Sept 23,
4-4:20pm CONFIRMED |
Review Blessing 1 after Haftara
Prepare Blessing 2 after haftara |
This week, learn 2nd blessing after Haftara (MP3 link is in the Sept 8 homework) |
| We, Sept 29 | No lesson – Simchat Torah | This week, learn 3rd blessing after Haftara (MP3 link is in the Sept 8 homework) |
| We, Oct 6
4-4:20pm |
Welcome back to regular lessons!
Review First 3 blessings after Haftara Prepare first half of blessing 4 after Haftara |
Dylan didn’t come to lesson |
| We, Oct 13 | Review Blessings 1-3 after Haftara
Prepare Blessings before and After Torah reading |
Smooth out and know very well blessings 1-3 after haftara – use the audio files from Sep 8. |
| We, Oct 20
4-4:20pm |
Review Blessings 1-3 after Haftara
Prepare Blessing 4 after Haftara Review Torah Blessings |
Learn Blessing 4 after Haftara
Finish smoothing out Blessing 3 after haftara Practice your haftara |
| We, Oct 27
4-4:20pm |
Review 4 blessings after Haftara
Review Haftara |
Smooth out Blessing before Haftara
Really work on your blessings after Haftara. Note that they do not use Haftara trope — they have their own melody. Make sure you use the audio files! Meet Cantor Green on the bimah after services and after a bite to eat at kiddush on Saturday to practice blessings after haftara. Be ready!! |
| Sa., Oct 30
12:10pm |
Review Blessings after Haftara on the bimah. VERY IMPORTANT that this is well-learned! | |
| Thu, Nov 4
9-11am |
ATTEND MORNING MINYAN (7:15 gives time for CJG to help you put on tallit and t’filin) THEN FULL RUNTHROUGH ON BIMAH. Confirm with Mom. | |
| _______________ | ___________________________ |
Torah/Haftara Trope (PDF)
Haftara trope (PDF)
Haftara (PDF)
Blessing Before Torah Reading (PDF | MP3)
Blessing After Torah Reading (PDF | MP3)
Maftir (PDF)
Blessings after Haftara (PDF | Audio: Blessing 1 | 2 | 3 | 4)
Haftara Trope – DONE
Blessing Before Haftara – DONE
Haftara – IN PROGRESS
Blessings After Haftara – IN PROGRESS
Blessings before and after Torah reading – DONE
Torah Trope –
Maftir aliya –
Conclusion of Services –
D’var Torah (with Rabbi Kenter) –
If there’s time: More Torah reading; parts of Shacharit