Feb 9, 2010

Studying Hebrew

Studying Hebrew for your Bar or Bat Mitzvah is not at all like studying math, science, English, or even studying Spanish, French or Italian.  With Hebrew you are dealing with letters and sounds that are totally different then from the languages just mentioned.  Not more difficult; just different; so your approach to studying Hebrew must be different. Hebrew requires time to learn what the different symbols (letters) are and time to learn the different sounds of the vowels (because unlike English, Hebrews vowels are not part of the alphabet). And the Hebrew tunes for chanting Torah and Haftarah are totally different from any kind of music that we’re familiar with.  Also, students are under the impression that once they have learned a prayer and then go over it a couple of times then they can just go on to the next prayer and leave that one alone. Wrong! After they have learned the prayer and tune it is absolutely essential that they study this prayer 15 or 20 minutes 4 or 5 times a week and also review everything they have learned with the CD that I have provided.  This is necessary to keep everything fresh in their minds. This is even more true of their Parsha (Torah portion) and Haftarah portion.

If these rules are adhered to then I promise all parents and students alike that studying for their Bar and Bat Mitzvah will not only be easier, it will eliminate much of the angst associated with what should be one of the happiest days in their lives; their Bar or Bat Mitzvah.