WILLIAM, 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 lessons. 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 me know if there’s a problem right away.
VERY IMPORTANT – MUST READ: KBI B’nei Mitzvah Handbook ONLINE
Click here to confirm you’ve read the entire handbook (required).
| DATE/TIME | GOALS | HOMEWORK ASSIGNED |
| Tu, June 20, 2023
Cantor’s office |
Collect Family Info
Confirm Date 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. |
| Tu, Nov 7
4:10-4:30pm |
Write name, phone number, and webpage URL on BM folder (provided)
Prepare Blessing Before and After Torah reading |
Learn Blessings Before and After Torah Reading (PDF | MP3 – Before | MP3 – After)
This Saturday is the Bat Mitzvah of Julia Greenberg. Come and check it out! This is an important requirement in the journey to your own Bar Mitzvah. |
| Tu, Nov 14
4:10-4:30pm ZOOM today (CJG ill) |
Review Torah Blessings
Prepare Torah Trope |
Finish learning blessing AFTER torah reading
Learn Torah Trope 1st half, up to the first sof pasuk. As you get better and better at it over the course of the week, start looking at the trope SYMBOLS rather than the words/names of the tropes so that you start associating the symbols with the musical note patterns. (PDF | Torah Trope) |
| Tu, Nov 21
4:10-4:30pm |
Review Torah blessings
Review Torah Trope 1st half – WASN’T POSSIBLE DUE TO LACK OF PRINTER ACCESS Prepare Torah Trope 1st half
|
Learn Torah Trope 1st half, up to the first sof pasuk. As you get better and better at it over the course of the week, start looking at the trope SYMBOLS rather than the words/names of the tropes so that you start associating the symbols with the musical note patterns. (PDF | Torah Trope) |
| Tu, Nov 28
4:10-4:30pm |
Review Torah blessings
Review Torah Trope 1st half Prepare Torah trope 2nd half |
Learn Torah Trope 2nd half. Make the whole thing flow. |
| Tu, Dec 5
4:10-4:30pm |
Review Torah trope
Prepare Maftir first half |
Learn Maftir 17:24-25 |
| Tu, Dec 12
4:10-4:30pm NO LESSON TODAY – CJG BECAME UNAVAILABLE |
Review Maftir to date
prepare Maftir 17:26-27 PLEASE DO HOMEWORK AT RIGHT ===> |
Learn Maftir 17:26-27 |
| Tu, Dec 19
4:10-4:30pm |
Review Maftir to date
Re-prepare Maftir 17:27 Prepare Haftara Trope Sheet |
Learn Maftir 17:27
Learn Haftara Trope Sheet. You have several weeks to do this because there are no lessons now until Jan. 16 |
| Dec. 25-Jan 11 | NO LESSONS – CJG VACATION/CONFERENCE. PLEASE DO HOMEWORK AT RIGHT ===> | Keep learning Trope Sheet and Maftir 17:27. Make sure you’re looking at the Trope Symbols rather than the words (trope names) by the time we next meet for a lesson. |
| Tu, Jan 16
4:10-4:30pm |
Review Maftir (all) with Blessings
Review Haftara Trope Sheet Prepare Blessing before Haftara |
Learn Maftir 17:27
Touch up the entire maftir so you can do the whole of it smoothly and confidently. Finish learning Haftara trope from Pazeir, doing some extra listening and repeating on T’lisha K’tana and T’lisha G’dola to get the notes right. |
| Tu, Jan. 23
4:10-4:30pm ZOOM (CJG PMID) |
William left his studies a little late and didn’t finish leaning. Re-doing the material from last lesson:
Review Maftir Review Haftara Trope
|
1 – Learn Maftir 17:27
2 – Smooth out tune of last 4 words of 17:26 – Nimol Avraham v’Yishma-eil b’no, where the ending note of ham is the note you need for v’yishma. Make sure your notes are exactly the same as in the audio file for this verse. 3 – Print Blessing Before Haftara and Haftara (3 pages) in colour from the PDFs in the Downloads section below. |
| Tu, Jan 30
4:10-4:30pm ZOOM (CJG PMID) |
Review Maftir (entire)
Prepare Blessing before Haftara Prepare Haftara 40:27-28 |
Fix the trope at the beginning of maftir, 17:27
Keep smoothing out blessing before haftara, partic from middle Baruch Ata onward Learn Haftara 40:27 and |
| Tu, Feb 6
4:10-4:30pm ZOOM (CJG PMID) |
Review Haftara to date Prepare Haftara 40:28 |
Touch up Blessing before Haftara, partic Baruch Ata in the middle of the blessing. Use audio file.
Learn Haftara 40:28 |
| Tu, Feb 13
4:10-4:30pm ZOOM (CJG PMID) |
Review Haftara to date, with blessing before Haftara (listening for repaired Baruch Ata in the middle)
Prepare Haftara 40:29-30 and 31 up to cho-ach |
Learn Haftara 40:29-30 and 31 up to yachalifu cho-ach |
| **Th, Feb 22
**4:00-4:20pm |
Review Haftara to date
Prepare Haftara rest-of-40:31 and 41:1 Review Maftir |
Learn Haftara rest-of-40:31 and 41:1
Practice Maftir (Torah) reading. Make sure it’s smooth. Practice Torah Blessings before and after the reading. Use the audio files for both of the above to remind yourself of the way they go. Remember: Every week, you MUST review at least once, everything learned to date, and FIX any glitches. If you don’t, you’ll forget it! |
| Tu, Feb 27
4:10-4:30pm ZOOM (CJG PMID) |
Review Haftara to date
Review Maftir (Torah) reading with the blessings Prepare Haftara rest of 40:31 (from yei-l’chu) and 41:1, and 41:2 up to l’rag-lo |
Not all the homework was completed. Retake the assignment, as follows:
Learn Haftara rest of 40:31 (from yei-l’chu) and 41:1, and 41:2 up to l’rag-lo Remember to practice your maftir reading so that it stays smooth |
| Tu, Mar 5
4:10-4:30pm ZOOM (CJG PMID) |
Review Haftara to date
Prepare Haftara rest-of-41:2, and 41:3-4 |
Fix melody/trope of yig’shu in 41:1 (it’s a pashta, so you have start with a low note)
Learn Haftara rest-of-41:2, and 41:3-4. You have two weeks to do that because no lesson next week (March Break) |
| Tu, Mar 12 | NO LESSON – MARCH BREAK, CANTOR AWAY | Continue doing homework assigned last week |
| Tu, Mar 19
4:10-4:30pm |
Review Haftara to date
prepare Haftara 41:4-5 |
Learn Haftara 41:4-5
(Keep practicing everything learned so far!) |
| Tu, Mar 26
4:10-4:30pm |
Review Haftara to date
Prepare Haftara 41:6 and 41:7 up to tov hu |
1. Learn Haftara 41:6 and 41:7 up to tov hu
2. Smooth out verses 4 and 5 |
| Tu, Apr 2
4:10-4:30pm |
Review Haftara to date
Prepare Haftara rest-of-41:7, 41:8, and 41:9 up to ha-aretz |
Smooth out first half of 41:7
Learn Haftara rest-of-41:7, 41:8, and 41:9 up to ha-aretz |
| Tu, Apr 9
4:10-4:30pm |
Review Haftara from 41:4
Prepare Haftara rest of 41:9 and 41:10 up to elohecha |
Learn Haftara rest of 41:9 and 41:10 up to elohecha |
| Tu, Apr 16
4:10-4:30pm |
Review Haftara from 41:4
Prepare Haftara rest-of-41:10 and 41:11 |
Smooth out homework from last week
Learn Haftara rest-of-41:10 and 41:11 |
| Tu, Apr 23
NO LESSON – PASSOVER |
No lesson, but please do this short homework: | Learn Haftara 41:12 |
| Tu, Apr 30
NO LESSON – PASSOVER |
Use this week to review everything diligently, fixing any areas that are less that “totally confident”! | |
| Tu, May 7
4:10-4:30pm |
Review Haftara to date
Prepare Haftara 41:13 and 41:14 up to Yisrael |
Fix up trope (musical notes) of Haftara 41:10 – ki ani elohecha. Go back to the audio file, don’t guess at it – you might guess wrong!
Touch up verse 41:12 Learn Haftara 41:13 and 41:14 up to Yisrael |
| Tu, May 14
|
LESSON CANCELLED – CJG UNAVAILABLE
Review Haftara to date Prepare Haftara rest-of-41:14 and 41:15 |
|
| Tu, May 21
4:10-4:30pm |
Review Haftara to date | Touch up haftara 41:13-15 |
| Tu, May 28
4:10-4:30pm |
Review Haftara from 41:9
Prepare Haftara 41:16 Prepare first half of blessing 1 after haftara |
Learn Haftara 41:16
Print blessings after Haftara (if not printed already) Learn first half of blessing 1 after haftara, up to emet vatzedek |
| Tu, June 4
|
NO LESSON – WILLIAM NOT AVAILABLE
Please do homework at right anyway ===>
|
Learn Blessing 1 after haftara, 2nd half and make the whole blessing smooth
Also, learn Blessing 2 after the haftara. You can do this next week as it’s short, and there’s no lesson because of Shavuot. |
| Tu, June 11 | NO LESSON – EREV SHAVUOT | (Learn Blessing 2 after haftara as requested above) |
| Tu, June 18
4:10-4:30pm |
Review entire Haftara
Review Blessing 1 after haftara, first half Re-Prepare Blessing 1 after haftara, second half |
Please print out Haftara in colour (including blessing before in colour, and blessings after haftara in black-and-white).
Finish learning blessing 1 after haftara. |
| Tu, Jun 25
4:10-4:30pm |
Review Blessing 1 after haftara to date
Prepare rest of Blessing 1 after haftara Prepare Blessing 2 after haftara |
Learn rest of Blessing 1 after haftara (from Ki Eil Melech…)
Learn Blessing 2 after haftara (short!) |
| Tu, Jul 2
**2:40-3pm |
Review Blessing 1 after haftara
Prepare Blessing 2 after haftara Review Maftir Review Blessing before Haftara |
Learn Blessing 2 after the haftara
CJG will be visiting CBB on Wednesday, July 24. Please bring all your printed materials to camp and we’ll do 20 minutes together that afternoon! We’ll review everything! |
| SUMMER BREAK (CJG away, William Camp) | ||
| Tu, July 23
4:10-4:30pm |
Review Haftara unit (blessing before, haftara, blessings 1, 2, and some of 3 after) | Finish learning Blessing 3 after haftara |
| SUMMER BREAK | WILLIAM AT CAMP | NO HOMEWORK, but bring your Bar Mitzvah materials, and review it ALL at least once while you’re away |
| **We, Aug 28
5:20-5:40pm |
Review Blessings 1-3 after haftara
Prepare Blessing 4 after Haftara, first half Review Haftara |
Learn rest of Blessing 3 after haftara (from bim-heira yavo) |
| Tu, Sep 3
4:10-4:30pm |
Review Blessings 1-3 after haftara
Prepare Blessing 4 after Haftara, first half |
Learn rest of Blessing 3 after haftara (from v’lo yin-chalu od)
Learn Blessing 4 after haftara, first half, up to ul-tif-aret |
| Tu, Sep 10
4:10-4:30pm |
Review Blessings after haftara to date
Prepare Blessing 4 after haftara, 2nd half |
Please pack your bar mitzvah materials folder that I gave you into your school backpack so that it makes its way to each of your lessons.
Learn Blessing 4 after Haftara, first half. If you have time after that, listen to the rest of blessing 4 a bunch of times. A lot of it will go in that way. |
| Tu, Sep 17
4:10-4:30pm ZOOM TODAY |
Review blessing 4 to date
Prepare rest of Blessing 4 after Haftara |
Learn 2nd half of Blessing 4 after haftara
Review all 4 blessings Print PDF page 3 (ie., p141) of the Torah Service (PDF) – we’ll be learning lines 1, 2, and 4 of this page next lesson. |
| Tu, Sep 24
4:10-4:30pm ZOOM TODAY |
Review all 4 blessings after haftara
Review Maftir Prepare Sh’ma / Echad / Gad’lu |
Learn Sh’ma / Echad / Gad’lu – p141 (PDF page 3 | MP3) |
| Tu, Oct 1
4:10-4:30pm TBC In-person |
Review Sh’ma/Echad/Gad’lu
Review Haftara unit |
|
| Tu, Oct 8
4:10-4:30pm ZOOM |
Review Sh’ma/Echad/Gad’lu
Review Maftir with Aliyah Blessing Review Blessing before Haftara, and haftara first half |
Keep practicing everything learned so far.
Practice doing your maftir aliya using this PDF of the actual Torah scroll you’ll be reading from. Point to each word as you sing it. |
| Tu, Oct 15
4:10-4:30pm IN PERSON |
Review Haftara 2nd half and blessings after Haftara
Practice Maftir from LEFTHAND side, pointing to each word |
Keep practicing everything! |
| Tu, Oct 22
4:10-4:30pm |
Practice Maftir from that actual scroll, and Haftara, on the bimah | |
| _____________ | ____________________ |
Torah/Haftara Trope Sheet (PDF | Torah Trope | Haftara Trope)
Blessings Before and After Torah Reading (PDF | MP3 – Before | MP3 – After)
Maftir Lech L’Cha – All in Gen. Ch 17 (PDF | MP3)
| 24 – 0:00 | 25 – 0:13 | 26 – 0:31 | 27 – 0:45 |
Blessing before Haftara (PDF | MP3)
Haftara Lech L’Cha (PDF | MP3) – From Isaiah Ch 40 & 41
| 40:27 – 0:00 | 28 – 0:28 | 29 – 0:58 | 30 – 1:12 | 31 – 1:26 | 41:1 – 1:54 | 2 – 2:18 |
| 3 – 2:49 | 4 – 3:02 | 5 – 3:25 | 6 – 3:42 | 7 – 3:56 | 8 – 4:25 | 9 – 4:43 |
| 10 – 5:09 | 11 – 5:35 | 12 – 5:59 | 13 – 6:22 | 14 – 6:45 | 15 – 7:09 | 16 – 7:35 |
Blessings after Haftara (PDF | Audio: Blessing 1 | 2 | 3 | 4)
Torah Service (PDF)
Blessings before and after Torah reading – DONE
Torah Trope – DONE
Maftir aliya – DONE (incl. from LEFTHAND side)
Haftarah Trope – DONE
Blessing before Haftarah – DONE
Haftara – DONE
Blessings after Haftara – DONE
Torah Processional (Sh’ma/Echad Gad’lu) – DONE
D’var Torah (with Rabbi Polansky) – IN PROGRESS