Harrison, 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 |
| Fr, Aug 30
11:15am-12:00pm 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. |
| Wed, Nov. 6
4:40-5:00pm |
Provide BM folder with URL, printouts
Prepare Blessing Before and After Torah reading |
Learn Blessings Before and After Torah Reading (PDF | MP3 – Before | MP3 – After) using the homework technique above. |
| Wed., Nov 13
4:40-5:00pm |
Review Torah Blessings
Prepare Torah Trope |
Learn Torah Trope like a song (using the homework technique above — lots of listening to start with!), and when you are fairly fluent at it, start focusing your eyes on the trope SYMBOLS rather than the names of the tropes so that you start associating their shapes with the notes you’re singing |
| Th, Nov 21
5-5:20pm |
Review Torah Trope
Review Torah blessings Prepare Maftir 17:24-25 Prepare Maftir 17:26 for the following week. |
Learn Maftir 17:24-25 |
| Th, Nov 28 | NO LESSON, CJG ON VACA, but please do homework at right ===> | Learn Maftir 17:26 |
| Th, Dec 5
5-5:20pm CANCELLED – CJG SICK |
|
NO LESSON TODAY, BUT PLEASE CONTINUE LEARNING:
Learn Maftir 17:27 |
| Th, Dec. 12
5:10-5:30pm (Snow!) |
Review maftir
Prepare Haftara trope |
Learn Haftarah Trope Sheet like a song, but as you get smoother at it, start looking at the SYMBOLS rather than the words, so that you get used to what the SHAPES sound like. You’ll see these shapes around the words in your actual haftarah.
When you practice your maftir, try to do it from the LEFTHAND side of the page. |
| Th, Dec 19
5-5:20pm |
Review Maftir from STA”M side
Review Haftara trope Prepare Blessing before the Haftarah. |
Review maftir, practicing the difference in trope between “b’himolo” in verse 24 and the one in verse 25. Use the audio file for verse 24 to help you think about (carefully!) the trope of the first one. |
| Th, Dec 26 | NO LESSON – WINTER BREAK,
But please do homework at right ==> |
Learn Blessing before Haftara |
| Th, Jan 2, 2025 | NO LESSON – WINTER BREAK,
But please do homework at right ==> |
Keep smoothing out Maftir and Blessing before Haftara! |
| Th, Jan 9
5-5:20pm |
Review Maftir
Review Blessing before Haftara Prepare Haftara 40:27-28 |
Learn Haftara 40:27-28
Keep reviewing maftir every week to keep it fresh! |
| Th, Jan 16
5-5:20pm |
Review Haftara to date, including the blessing before it
Prepare Haftara 40:29-31 |
Learn Haftara 40:29-31
Practice reading your maftir from the STA”M side |
| Th, Jan 23
5-5:20pm |
Review Haftara to date
Prepare Haftara 41:1-2 Review maftir |
Smooth out 40:29-31
Learn Haftara 41:1-2 |
| Th, Jan 30
5-5:20pm |
Review Haftara to date
Prepare Haftara 41:3-5 Review Torah blessings |
Learn Haftara 41:3-5 |
| Th, Feb 6
5-5:20pm |
Review Haftara to date
Prepare Haftara 41:6-7 |
Learn Haftara 41:6-8 |
| Th, Feb 13
5-5:20pm |
Review Haftara to date
Prepare Haftara 41:9-10 |
This week, Learn Haftara 41:9 |
| Th, Feb 20 | NO LESSON – CANTOR ON VACATION, but please do the homework at right ==> | Learn Haftara 41:10 |
| Th, Feb 27
CANCELED – SOCCER TRY-OUT |
NO LESSON TODAY, but please do homework at right ==>
|
Learn Haftara 41:11-12 (both verses are short) |
| **We, Mar 5
4:30-4:50pm |
Review Haftara to date
Prepare Haftara 41:11-12 |
Learn Haftara 41:11-12 (both verses are short) |
| **We, Mar 12
4:40-5:00pm |
Review Haftara to date
Prepare Haftara 41:13-14 (longer, b/c March break) Review Maftir Aliya from STA”M side |
Nice job adding 41:13!!
Touch up/smooth out 4:11-13 (pay attention to the trope in the recordings; and pronounce correctly: yih-yu ch’-ayin both times. Learn Haftara 41:14 |
| Th, Mar 20
|
LESSON CANCELED – CJG MED LEAVE
BUT PLEASE DO HOMEWORK AT RIGHT ===> |
Learn Haftara 41:15 (and finish up the haftara with 41:16 if you want!) |
| Th, Mar 27
5:00-5:20pm |
Review Haftara to date
Prepare Haftara 41:16 Prepare Blessing 1 after haftara, first half |
Learn Haftara 41:16
Learn Blessing 1 after haftara, first half (up to emet vatzedek) |
| Th, Apr 3
5-5:20pm |
Review Haftara last page
Review Blessing 1 after haftara, first half Prepare Blessing 1 after haftara, 2nd half and blessing 2 |
I’ve added the new Haftara Blessings audio file below (in the downloads section). Use the table just like you did for your maftir and haftara.
Learn Blessing 1 after haftara, 2nd half Learn Blessing 2 after Haftara |
| Th, Apr 10
NO LESSON – NO POSSIBLE TIME TO MEET (CJG) |
NO MEETING, but please do homework at right ===>
|
Learn blessing 3 and 4 after Haftara. You have two weeks to do this as there are no BM lessons during Passover. If this is too much, learn up to halfway through blessing 4 (up to ultif-aret) |
| Th, Apr 17 | NO LESSON – PASSOVER | Keep learning Blessings after haftara! |
| Th, Apr 24
5-5:20pm |
Review Blessings after haftara
Finish blessing #4 after haftara Review Maftir with Blessings Prepare Ein Kamocha (in Torah processional) |
Touch up music notes in Blessing #2 after haftara (bimheira v’yameinu)
Finish learning blessing #4 after haftara (from Al HaKol) Finish touching up Ein Kamocha paragraph |
| **We, Apr 30
4:40-5:00pm |
Review Blessings after haftara
Review Ein Kamocha paragraph Prepare Vay’hi Binsoah |
Sort out last line of Vay’hi Binsoa (l’amo Yisrael bik-dushato)
Smooth out Bei Ana Racheitz Learn Sh’ma/Echad/Gad’lu All of items contained in audio files 03, 04, and 05 in the MP3s link below |
| Th, May 8
5-5:20pm |
Review Torah service to date
Prepare L’Cha Adonai |
Finish Learning L’Cha Adonai |
| Th, May 15
5-5:20pm |
Review Torah Processional
Prepare Chatzi Kaddish during Torah reading |
Smooth out L’Cha Adonai
Smooth out Chatzi Kaddish You have two week to do that — no lesson next week AND please review your Torah and Haftara, including all their blessings |
| Th, May 22 | NO LESSON – CJG @ CONFERENCE | |
| Th, May 29
5-5:20pm |
Review Chatzi Kaddish
Prepare Y’hal’lu / Hodo Al Eretz |
Smooth out in L’cha Adonai the words that come after each “v’hish-tachavu“.
Learn Y’hal’lu and Hodo Al Eretz (with Mizmor L’David tag as in the audio file) |
| Th, Jun 5
5:20pm |
Review L’Cha Adonai
Review Y’hal’lu and Hodo Al Eretz Prepare Havu Ladonai up to al mayyim rabbim Review Haftara last page |
Learn Havu Ladonai first “cong + solo” section, up to al mayyim rabbim. |
| We, Jun 11
4:20-4:40pm |
Review Torah Processional and Recessional to date
Prepare Havu Ladonai from kol Adonai bako-ach up to ven r’eimim. |
Learn Ashrei Top & Tail (3 lines)
Learn Havu Ladonai 2nd block from Kol Adonai BaKoach up to ven r’eimim. |
| Th, Jun 19
5-5:20pm |
Review Torah REcessional
Prepare Havu Ladonai 3rd block Review Haftara until we run out of time. |
Learn Havu Ladonai Block 3 (from Kol Adonai Chotzeiv… to kulo omer kavod) |
| Th, June 26
5-5:20pm |
NO LESSON – HARRISON DIDN’T APPEAR ON ZOOM. Please do the homework anyway ==>
Review Torah Recessional to date Review Havu Ladonai to date Prepare last 2 printed lines of Havu Ladonai |
Learn last 2 printed lines of Havu Ladonai |
| Th, July 3
5-5:20pm ZOOM (Harrison sick) |
Review Torah Recessional to date
Review Havu Ladonai to date Prepare Uv’nucho Yomar / Eitz Chayim Hee |
Learn Eitz Chayim Hee (last 3 printed lines at bottom of same page as Havu Ladonai.
Freshen up Chatzi Kaddish before Maftir — we’ll check on it next lesson |
| **We, July 9
4-4:20pm |
Review Torah Recessional (entire)
Review Chatzi Kaddish before Maftir Learn Chatzi Kaddish before Musaf |
Learn Chatzi Kaddish before Musaf (MP3). You have three weeks to do this as CJG is out of town between now and then. |
| Th, Jul 31
5-5:20pm |
Review Chatzi Kaddish
Prepare Musaf Avot section |
Learn Musaf Amida p156b, first paragraph (Baruch ata … l’ma’an sh’mo b’ahavah) |
| We, Aug 6 We, Aug 13 |
NO LESSONS – CJG AWAY. But please do the homework at right in time for our next lesson on Aug. 20 ===> | Finish learning Musaf Amida first paragraph (from last lesson) if needed
Learn p156b, Melech Ozer … ufokeid Sarah; Ata Gibor … rav l’hoshia, and Mashiv HaRuach umorid haGashem |
| We, Aug 20
3:40-4:00pm |
Review Musaf to date
Prepare more Musaf (M’chalkeil Chayim?) |
Touch up first section (from 3 step back…fwd…Baruch up to rav l’hoshia… Mashiv HaRuach)
Learn M’chalkeil Chayim paragraph |
| Th, Aug 28
TRAFFIC PREVENTED A LESSON. |
Review Musaf to date
Prepare V’ne-eman ata Prepare Na’aritz’cha from the k’dusha Review Haftara |
Keep practicing Musaf!
Learn V’ne-eman Ata and Na’aritz’cha (the beginning paragraph of the K’dusha) / Kadosh Kadosh Kadosh |
| Th, Sep 4
5-5:20pm |
Review Musaf to date up to (thru) Kadosh Kadosh Kadosh
Prepare K’dusha (continued) |
Learn V’ne-eman Ata
Learn K’vodo Malei Olam (from 0:37 in the audio file, which now lives as 02c in the Musaf MP3s folder below), Baruch K’vod, and Mim’komo (either up to sh’mo, or if you can, up to om’rim — I think you can!) |
| Th, Sep 11
5-5:20pm ZOOM (Recorded for tutor training) |
Review Musaf from V’ne-man Ata
Prepare Musaf K’dusha thru Ani Adonai Eloheichem |
Learn Musaf K’dusha up to Ani Adonai Eloheichem
Touch up anything “glitchy” in the K’dusha to date. |
| Th, Sep 18
5-5:20pm |
Review Musaf K’dusha to date
Prepare Musaf K’dusha from uv-divrei through the end of the L’Dor Vador (ha-Eil HaKadosh) |
Learn L’Dor VaDor
Keep reviewing all of the Musaf Amida from the chatzi kaddish |
| Th, Sep 25
5-5:20pm |
Review All of Musaf to date
Prepare Full Kaddish p181 |
Learn Full Kaddish p181 up to da-amiran b’al’ma v’imru amen in the “new” nusach for these same words as the Chatzi Kaddish before Musaf. |
| Su, Oct 5
8:30am-9:20am Minyan |
Review everything!
Prepare rest of Full Kaddish after Musaf |
|
| Th, Oct 16
5:40-6pm |
Review Heiche Musaf (entire) | |
| We, Oct 22
7:00 Tallit/T’filin |
||
| _____________ | ____________________ |
Torah/Haftarah Trope Sheet (PDF | Torah Trope MP3 | Haftara Trope MP3)
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) – all in Isaiah
| 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, KBI-style (PDF | MP3)
| #1, 1st half – 0:00 | #1, 2nd half – 0:31 | #2 – 1:11 | #3 – 1:38 | #4, 1st half – 2:37 | #4, 2nd half – 3:06 |
Shabbat Morning Torah Service (PDFs | MP3s)
Blessings before and after Torah reading – DONE
Maftir aliya – DONE (incl. from STA”M side)
Haftara Trope – DONE
Blessing before Haftara – DONE
Haftara – DONE
Blessings after Haftara – DONE
Torah Processional – DONE
Chatzi Kaddish before Maftir – DONE
Torah Recessional – DONE
Prepare Musaf (Heiche K’dusha) –
D’var Torah & Mitzvah Project (Dr. Mitzmacher?) –
Other items as time allows: Other Torah aliyot; Musaf; Hallel