Cole, 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. It is your responsibility to check this page to ensure it’s working properly right after each lesson, and let Cantor Green know if there’s a problem right away.
VERY IMPORTANT – MUST READ: KBI B’nei Mitzvah Handbook
| DATE/TIME | GOALS | HOMEWORK ASSIGNED |
| Su, Sept 26
10-10:45am In-Person @ KBI |
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. In your first homework session, Listen to the assigned audio files, each phrase separately, at least 15 times each. Let it sink in! Best practice is to listen a couple more times in a second sitting before trying to sing along. 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. You’ll know you’re ready for step 3 when the audio recording feels too slow or is ‘holding you back’. 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. Bring a looseleaf binder (with sheet pockets) |
| We, Nov 3
5:20-5:40pm |
Prepare Blessing Before Torah reading | Learn Torah Blessings (PDF | MP3 – Before | MP3 – After) |
| We, Nov 10
5:20-5:40pm |
Review Torah Blessings
Prepare Haftara Trope like a song, first half |
Learn first half of Haftara Trope like a song (PDF | MP3) up to first sof-pasuk. |
| We, Nov 17
5:20-5:40pm |
Review first half of Haftara Trope sheet
Prepare 2nd half |
Learn 2nd half of Haftara trope like a song (PDF | MP3) from pazeir.
When you go through the whole sheet, concentrate on the symbols, not the words themselves, because it’s the symbols we’ll be using in your actual haftara. You should be associating the sound you’re singing with the shape of the trope, not the shape of the word! |
| We, Nov. 24
5:20-5:40pm |
Review Haftara Trope
Prepare Haftara 66:15-16 |
Learn Haftara 66:15-16 using the audio file and table below |
| We, Dec 1 | NO LESSON – Chanukah – Cantor unavailable | Keep learning haftara 66:15-16 |
| We, Dec 8
5:20-5:40pm |
Review Haftara to date (from v15)
Prepare Haftara 66:17 |
Touch up the musical notes of the “tip’cha” trope words (ie., v’chasufah, uv-charbo, v’rabu). Use the audio files to make sure you’re singing the correct notes — all low notes until the last syllable, where you move up one note.
Learn Haftara 66:17 |
| We, Dec 15
5:20-5:40pm |
Review Haftara to date (from v15)
Prepare Haftara 66:18 and first part of v19 (up to end of page, p’sik) |
Learn Haftara 66:18 and first part of 66:19 up to the end of p3. |
| We, Dec 22
5:20-5:40pm |
Review Haftara to date
Prepare Haftara rest of 66:19 |
Fix the melody (trope) of L’kabeitz et-kol-hagoyim by listening to that audio file at that moment a few more times until you are comfortable and doing the same tune as the audio file, on your own
Learn rest of 66:19 (from top of p4, but make it connects to the first half of the verse) |
| We, Dec 29 | NO LESSON – CANTOR AWAY | Keep studying 66:19 |
| We, Jan 5
5:20-5:40pm |
Review Haftara to date (from v15)
Prepare 66:20, first half |
Finish learning (partic trope/melody) of 66:19
Learn first section of 66:20 (up to basusim) – make sure to observe the short pauses | |
| We, Jan 12
5:20-5:40pm |
Review Haftara from v15 to date | Go back to v18-20 and sort out ALL of the tropes (melodies) so that you’re confidently singing exactly as in the audio files, and then can sing them on your own with confidence |
| We, Jan 19
5:20-5:40pm |
Review Haftara from v15
Prepare Haftara rest-of-66:20 |
Learn Haftara rest-of-66:20 |
| We, Jan 26
5:20-5:40pm |
Review Haftara from v15
Prepare Haftara 66:21 and 66:22 up to n’um Adonai |
Touch up pronunciation of “kod-shi Yerushalayim” in 66:20
Learn Haftara 66:21 and 66:22 up to n’um Adonai |
| We, Feb 2
5:20-5:40pm |
Review Haftara to date (from v15)
Prepare Haftara rest-of-66:22 and 66:23 |
1. Learn Haftara rest-of-66:22 and 66:23
2. Go back and make sure v20-22 is identical to the audio file (v20 – v’heivi-u; v21 – v’gam meihem ekach — and notes; v22) |
| We, Feb 9
5:20-5:40pm |
Review Haftara to date (from v15)
Prepare Haftara 66:24 (last new verse!) |
Learn Haftara 66:24
Go back and smooth out 66:23 using the audio file to make sure it’s the same (tune and word pronunciation) Time to start coming to shul and experiencing Saturday morning services – 9am service start (but arrive by 9:25ish and you’ll be okay!) |
| We, Feb 16
5:20-5:40 |
Review Haftara from v15
Work on 66:23-24 |
Smooth out 66:23-24, making sure you spend some “thought” on the starting note of b’figrei and ha-anashim. |
| We, Feb 23
5:20-5:40pm |
Review Haftara from 66:22
Prepare Haftara 66:23* special ending |
Fix melody of 66:24 from Haposh’im Bi through Lo Tamut — use the audio file
Learn special ending for the end-of-Haftara in 66:23* (last sentence). Make sure to go UP at vot! |
| We, Mar 2
5:20-5:40pm |
Review Haftara from 66:22
Prepare Blessing 1 after haftara, 1st half |
Print the Blessings after the Haftara (PDF)
Learn blessing 1 after haftara, first half (PDF | Audio: Blessing 1 | 2 | 3 | 4) |
| We, Mar 9
5:20-5:40pm |
Review Haftara from 66:22
Review Blessing 1 after haftara, first half Prepare second half of blessing 1 after haftara |
Finish learning blessing 1 after haftara, 1st half (homework from last week)
Touch up v24 – tune/trope needs to be updated to be correct. |
| We, Mar 16 | NO LESSON – PURIM! | Learn second half of Blessing 1 after haftara |
| We, Mar 23
5:20-5:40pm |
Review Haftara from 66:22, with blessing 1 after haftara to date
Prepare 2nd half of blessing 1 after the haftara |
Learn 2nd half of blessing 1 after haftara (PDF | Audio: Blessing 1 | 2 | 3 | 4)
If you have time, start listening to blessing 2 after the Haftara. |
| We, Mar 30
5:20-5:40pm |
Review Haftara from 66:23
Review Blessing 1 after haftara Prepare Blessing 2 after haftara |
Smooth out 2nd half of blessing 1 after haftara (tune) – go back to the audio file for this
Learn Blessing 2 after haftara Please start coming to shul regularly on Shabbat mornings. You have to experience it to be ready for it! Also, the congregation wants to get to know you before your big day! |
| We, Apr 6
5:20-5:40pm |
Review Blessings 1 and 2 after haftara
Prepare Blessing 3 after haftara, first half Review Haftara section |
Learn first half of Blessing 3 after haftara up to lo yeishev zar on p2 |
| We, Apr 13
5:20-5:40pm |
Review Blessings after haftara to date
Prepare 2nd half of blessing 3 after the haftara. |
Smooth out and get confident with the correct melody for all the “Baruch Atah Adonai”s, where all notes are stepwise (keep moving down the scale) until “nai”.
Learn the second half of blessing 3 after the haftara (PDF | Audio: Blessing 1 | 2 | 3 | 4) |
| We, Apr 20 | NO LESSON – PASSOVER – CJG not available | Keep reviewing and perfecting everything learned so far. |
| We, Apr 27
5:20-5:40pm |
Review Blessings after Haftara to date
Prepare Blessing 4 after haftara, first half. |
Learn first half of blessing 4 after haftara (up to ul-tif-aret) |
| We, May 4
5:20-5:40pm |
Review Blessings after Haftara to date
Prepare 2nd half of blessing 4 after Haftara |
Please take your Bar Mitzvah materials with you to Israel so you can keep everything fresh
Learn the second half of Blessing 4 after the Haftara. |
| COLE IN ISRAEL UNTIL May 23 | ||
| We, May 25
5:20-5:40pm |
Review all 4 Blessings after Haftara
Prepare Torah Trope sheet |
Sort out in blessing 3, first line – “v’al ha-n’-vee-eem”) – practice it 10 times in a row.
Learn the second half of Blessing 4 after the Haftara. Print Chamishi (5th) Aliya (PDF) |
| We, Jun 1
5:20-5:40pm |
Review Blessings 3 and 4 after haftara
Prepare Chamishi aliya 14:22 and 14:23 up to sh’mo sham. Are we ready to change your lesson time to earlier? |
Smooth out blessing 4 after haftara, being careful to prounounce words correctly.
Learn Chamishi aliya 14:22 and 14:23 up to sh’mo sham. |
| We, June 8
5:20-5:40pm |
Review Blessings 3 & 4 after haftara
Review Chamishi aliya to date Prepare rest of Chamishi aliya 14:23 |
Learn rest of Chamishi aliya 14:23
Touch up anything that’s not smooth from 14:22-23 (last week’s homework) Keep reviewing everything learned so far! |
| TBC:
Tu, Jun 14 4:30-4:50pm |
Review blessings 3 & 4 after haftara
Review Chamishi aliya to date Work on Chamishi 14:22-23 up to sh’mo sham |
Perfect Chamishi 14:22-23 up to sh’mo sham.
Fix Blessings Before and After Torah reading. Make sure you make them both smooth and confident. For the Blessing before the Torah reading, make sure you say the right form of “B-r-ch” at the start of each line, and wait for the congregation to say line 2 before you repeat it. |
| We, Jun 22
5:20-5:40pm |
Review Chamishi to date | Fix up the melody (trope) of v22 and 23, making sure you’re doing TORAH trope (not haftara). Use the audio files intensively to help you switch gears to Torah trope. Go up to l’shakein sh’mo sham.
Good luck with your games!! |
| We, Jun 29
**4:20-4:40pm |
Review Chamishi to date
Prepare rest of chamishi v23 |
Learn rest of chamishi 14:23 (from ma-sar) |
| We, July 6
4:20-4:40pm |
Review Chamishi to date
Prepare rest of Chamishi 14:23 Prepare first part of 14:24 for next week’s non-lesson. |
In v23, get really good at the notes of the first two words (use the audio file) – v’achalta lif-nei.
In v23, get really good at the notes of bamakom asher yiv-char, l’shakein sh’mo sham. (zarka, segol phrase) Learn v23 from l’ma-an til-mad to the end. |
| July 13 | NO LESSON – CANTOR VACATION | Learn the 1st part of chamishi 14:24 up to s’eito. |
| We, July 27
4:40-5pm |
REVIEW DAY!
Review Chamishi to date Review Haftara 2nd half with blessings after haftara |
Re-study melody of L’ma-an til-mad up to kol hayamim. Use the audio file.
Prepare rest of Chamishi 14:24. I’m pushing you a bit harder to learn a bit more material to ensure we finish learning the chamishi aliya with plenty of time before your Bar Mitzvah (ie., a week of only review at the end.) |
| Tu, Aug 2
5:20-6pm |
Review Chamishi to date
Prepare Chamishi 14:25 and 14:26 up to naf-sh’cha. |
Learn Chamishi, 14:25 super well!
Once you’ve learned that, please try to also learn first 5 words of 14:26, up to naf-sh’cha |
| We, Aug 8 | NO LESSON. | Keep smoothing out Chamishi to date. While you’re away, learn the rest of 14:26. This will be as far as we go, for time, and because we can’t have you finish on a negative statement in the Torah (ie., 14:27). I checked after our lesson was over, so this is new information! |
| We, Aug 17
5:20-5:40pm |
Review Chamishi to date.
Someone else will take over from verse 26. |
You MUST make vs 22-25 super smooth and make sure it is still super smooth when you do it from the LEFTHAND side, as it looks in the Torah. Do this by LISTENING to the whole audio file (through verse 25) at least 20 times and sing along as smoothly as possible, and THEN do it without the recording, using the LEFTHAND side. |
| We, Aug 24
5:20-5:30pm |
Review Chamishi 22-25 with Torah blessings
Review Haftara with blessings after
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| _____________ | ____________________ |
Torah/Haftara Trope Sheet (PDF)
Torah Blessings (PDF)
Chamishi Aliya (PDF | MP3), All in Deut. Ch 14 (Ari is doing maftir for R”Ch)
| 22 – 0:00 | 23 – 0:19 | 24 – 1:08 | 25 – 1:49 |
Blessing before Haftara (PDF)
Haftara R’ei/R”Ch (PDF | MP3) all in Isaiah Chapter 66
| 1 – 0:00 | 2 – 0:27 | 3 – 0:54 | 4 – 1:38 | 5 – 2:18 | 6 – 2:55 | 7 – 3:13 | 8 – 3:32 | 9 – 4:04 |
| 10 – 4:26 | 11 – 4:49 | 12 – 5:11 | 13 – 5:49 | 14 – 6:10 | 15 – 6:37 | 16 – 7:02 | 17 – 7:20 | 18 – 7:54 |
| 19 – 8:21 | 20 – 9:15 | 21 – 10:16 | 22 – 10:31 | 23 – 11:06 | 24 – 11:34 | 23* – 12:09 |
Ari is doing 1-14 / Cole is doing 15-24, 23.
Blessings after Haftara (PDF | Audio: Blessing 1 | 2 | 3 | 4)
Blessings before and after Torah reading – DONE
Haftara – DONE
Blessings after Haftara – IN PROGRESS
Torah Processional (Ari) – DONE
Maftir aliya (ARI – 7 p’sukim)
Chamishi aliya (COLE – 8 p’sukim) –
D’var Torah (with Rabbi Kenter) –
Other items as time allows: Other Torah aliyot; Musaf; Hallel