Itay, 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 Cantor Green 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 and understood the entire handbook (required).
| DATE/TIME | GOALS | HOMEWORK ASSIGNED |
| Sunday, June 16
2:45-3:45pm Cantor’s Office |
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 (or assigned part thereof) at least 15 times in a row. 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. |
| We, June 19
5:40-6pm |
Write name, phone number, and email address on BM folder (provided)
Prepare Blessing Before and After Torah reading |
Learn Blessings Before and After Torah Reading (PDF | MP3 – Before | MP3 – After) |
| We, Jun 26
**4:20-4:40pm |
Review Torah Blessings
Prepare Torah Trope |
Learn Torah Trope 1st half. The audio materials are at the top of the downloads section, below.
Have a great summer break! |
| SUMMER BREAK | NO LESSONS, but keep practicing ===> | Try to learn the 2nd half of the Torah trope sheet in the remaining time before we meet again. Use the audio file as your “virtual teacher”! I have faith in you! |
| We, Aug 7
5:40-6pm |
Review Torah Trope
Review Torah blessings Start preparing Sh’vi’i |
Review both Torah blessings – smooth them out.
Learn Sh’vi’i aliya, 20:15 |
| We, Aug 14
5:40-6pm |
Review Torah blessings
Review Sh’vi’i to date Prepare Sh’vi’i 20:16 and 20:17 up to al tira-u |
“Repair” the note of meirachok – it’s a sof pasuk trope, and should land on the “home note”.
Learn Sh’vi’i 20:16 and 20:17 up to al tira-u |
| We, Aug 21
5:40-6pm |
Review Sh’vi’i to date (with Torah blessings
Prepare Sh’vi’i rest-of-20:17 Review Torah blessings |
Learn Sh’vi’i rest-of-20:17 |
| We, Aug 28
5:40-6pm |
NO LESSON – ITAY TRIP
|
|
| We, Sep 4
5:40-6pm |
Review Sh’vi’i to date
Prepare Sh’vi’i, 20:18 and 20:19 up to atem r’item Review Torah blessings |
Fix the trope of “vaya-am-du meirachok“. It should sound just like the notes in pen namut. Use the audio file on just those two words, repeating a bunch of times until you’re smooth at it. You’ll need to concentrate — it won’t just happen automatically at first.
Work on the pronunciation of “el ha-arafel” (take your time and pronounce each syllable). Learn Sh’vi’i, 20:18 and 20:19 up to atem r’item. |
| We, Sep 11
5:40-6pm ZOOM TODAY |
Review Sh’vi’i to date
Prepare Sh’vi’i rest-of-20:19 and 20:20 |
Learn Sh’vi’i rest-of-20:19 and 20:20 |
| We, Sep 18
5:40-6pm |
Review Sh’vi’i to date
Prepare Sh’vi’i 20:21 up to alav |
Smooth out 20:19-20
Learn Sh’vi’i, 20:21 up to alav |
| We, Sep 25
5:40-6pm |
Review Sh’vi’i to date
Prepare Sh’vi’i, rest of 20:21 |
Learn (or finish learning, in a way) 20:21 up to v’et b’karecha
You have two weeks to do this! |
| We, Oct 2 | NO LESSON – EREV ROSH HASHANAH | |
| We, Oct 9
5:40-6pm |
Review Sh’vi’i to date
Prepare Sh’vi’i 20:21 from b’chol hamakom |
Finish learning 20:21 up to v’et b’karecha
Then, finish the line up to uveirach-ticha |
| Th, Oct 31
5:40-6pm ZOOM |
Review Sh’vi’i to date
Learn Sh’vi’i 20:22 |
Learn Sh’vi’i, 20:22. As always, if you complete that quickly and it’s in great shape for next lesson, you can go on to the first part of 20:23 if you want. |
| We, Nov 6
5:40-6:00pm |
Review Sh’vi’i to date. Itay didn’t have time to do last week’s homework. Retake it today and add the rest of the aliya.
Prepare Sh’vi’i 20:22-23 |
Learn Sh’vi’i 20:22-23. Do a LOT of listening over and over so you can get the pronunciation of the words into your head quite well before you start singing along. |
| We, Nov 13
**4:20-4:40pm |
Review all of Sh’vi’i
Prepare Haftara trope like a song – 1st half |
Finish Learning Sh’vi’i 20:22-23
Review everything learned so far (every week!). Esp. Torah 2 blessings |
| We, Nov 20
5:40-6pm |
Review Sh’vi (entire)
Prepare Haftara Trope |
Smooth out Sh’vi’i 20:23 (last verse)
Learn Haftarah Trope (PDF | Haftara Trope MP3) |
| **Tu, Nov 26
4:10-4:30pm (b/c CJG on vacation from Wednesday) |
Review Sh’vi’i again
Review Haftarah Trope sheet Prepare Blessing before Haftara |
Practice Sh’vi’i and Maftir aliya from LEFTHAND side
Learn Blessing before Haftara |
| We, Dec 4
5:40-6pm ZOOM TODAY |
Review Sh’vi’i from Righthand side (STA”M)
Review Blessing before Haftara Prepare Haftara 6:1 |
Finish learning Blessing Before Haftara
Learn Haftara 6:1 using the table and MP3 below. |
| We, Dec 11
5:40-6pm |
Review Blessing before Haftara
Review Haftara 6:1 Prepare Haftara 6:2 Review Sh’vi’i from the righthand side. |
Learn Haftara 6:2
Smooth out the tune of Haftara 6:1 |
| We, Dec 18
5:40-6pm |
Review Haftara to date
Prepare Haftara 6:3, 4 for the break period |
This week, smooth out Haftara 6:1-2. Make it really confident. Use the audio file a LOT. |
| We, Dec 25 | NO LESSON (WINTER BREAK), but please do homework at right ==> | Learn Haftara 6:3 |
| We, Jan 1, 2025 | NO LESSON (WINTER BREAK), but please do homework at right ==> | Learn Haftara 6:4
Make sure your whole haftara so far is working smoothly! Practice your sh’vi’i aliya at least once or twice during the break. Keep it fresh! |
| We, Jan 8
5:40-6pm |
Review Haftara to date
Review and work on Haftara 6:5 Prepare Haftara 6:6-7 Prepare Blessing 1 after Haftara |
Smooth out verse 6:5
Learn verse 6:6-7 Learn Blessing 1 after haftara COMMIT TO COMING TO SYNAGOGUE ALL SATURDAY MORNINGS UNTIL YOUR BAR MITZVAH. |
| We, Jan 15
5:40-6pm |
Review haftara up to 6:7
Prepare Haftara 6:8-9 Review Blessing 1 after Haftara Prepare Blessing 2 & 3 after Haftara |
Learn Haftara 6:8-9
Learn blessing 2 (and if possible, blessing 3) after haftara |
| We, Jan 22
5:40-6pm |
Review Haftara to date
Prepare Haftara 6:10-11 Prepare Blessing 4 after Haftara (first half?) |
Learn Haftara 6:10-11
Learn Blessing 4 after Haftara (up to ul-tif-Aret, unless you have time for the whole b’racha) You won’t have to give a D’var Torah, but do think about if there’s anyone you’d like to thank from the bimah after Cantor Green speaks to you and presents your gifts to you! |
| We, Jan 29
5:40-6pm |
Review Haftara to date
Prepare Haftara 6:12-13 Review Haftara Blessings Review Maftir with Torah blessings |
Learn Haftara 6:12 from the main audio file. Don’t go on to 6:13 in the main audio file. Switch to this:
Learn Haftara 6:13 from this audio file: MP3 |
| We, Feb 5
5:40-6pm |
Review everything! | Re-learn the ending of the haftara 6:13 – MP3
Keep reviewing everything, and if there are little “glitches”, use the audio file to fix. Spending 3 minutes on a mistake will likely lock it in your head the proper way for years! |
| We, Feb 12
5:40-6pm |
Review everything | |
| Th, Feb 13
5:40-6pm |
7:15am Tallit & T’filin with Cantor Green
7:30am Morning minyan 8:30am Breakfast 8:55am Bar Mitzvah Runthrough on Bimah |
|
| _____________ | ____________________ |
Torah/Haftarah Trope Sheet (PDF | Torah Trope MP3 | Haftara Trope MP3)
Blessings Before and After Torah Reading (PDF | MP3 – Before | MP3 – After)
Yitro Sh’vi’i & Maftir – Ex. 20:15-23 (PDF | MP3)
| 15 – 0:00 | 16 – 0:30 | 17 – 0:51 | 18 – 1:27 | 19 (maftir)- 1:44 |
| 20 – 2:08 | 21 -2:26 | 22 – 3:03 | 23 – 3:28 |
Blessing before Haftara (PDF | MP3)
Haftara Yitro SEFARDI OPTION – 13 p’sukim (PDF | MP3)
| 6:1 – 0:00 | 6:2 – 0:29 | 6:3 – 1:09 | 6:4 – 1:35 | 6:5 – 1:55 | 6:6 – 2:38 | 6:7 – 3:06 |
| 6:8 – 3:34 | 6:9 – 3:58 | 6:10 – 4:23 | 6:11 – 5:02 | 6:12 – 5:43 | 6:13 – 5:59 (MP3 of Sof Aliya) | 7:1 – 6:34 |
| 7:2 – 7:27 | 7:3 – 7:59 | 7:4 – 8:45 | 7:5 – 9:31 | 7:6 – 9:51 | 9:5: – 10:16 | 9:6 – 10:54 |
Blessings after Haftara (PDF | Audio: Blessing 1 | 2 | 3 | 4)
Shabbat Morning Torah Service (PDFs | MP3s)
Blessings before and after Torah reading – DONE
Sh’vi’i Aliya – DONE
Maftir aliya – DONE
Blessing before Haftara –
Haftara –
Blessings after Haftara –
Torah Processional –
Torah Recessional –
D’var Torah & Mitzvah Project (with Rabbi Polansky) –
Other items as time allows: Other Torah aliyot; Musaf; Hallel
Rabbi Polansky will be out of town.