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Class Schedule Winter/Spring 2008

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Current Group Classes:

Click on the class below for current and past homework assignments:

Biblical Hebrew: Advanced Beginners on Wednesdays, 7:30 - 8:30 PM at Temple Beth Zion, Brookline, MA
Biblical Hebrew: Advanced Intermediate on Wednesdays, 12:30 - 1:45 PM at a private home near Newton Centre, MA
Biblical Hebrew: Advanced Intermediate on Wednesdays, 6:15 - 7:15 PM at Temple Beth Zion, Brookline, MA
Adult B'nai Mitzvah on Sundays, 11:00 AM - 12:30 PM at Temple Sinai, Brookline, MA
Kaddish Seminar, monthly on Wednesdays, 11:15 AM - 12:15 PM, at a private home near Newton Centre, MA

 

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Special Seminar: The Kaddish

This special seminar, taught by Natasha Shabat, meets once a month to explore such questions as

  • How can I learn to recite the Kaddish more fluently?
  • Why is it called "Mourner's Kaddish" if it doesn't mention death?
  • What do you mean, "It's not Hebrew"?
  • What does the Kaddish mean?
  • What's the difference between kaddish, kiddush, and kodesh?
  • What are the different Kaddishes for?
  • When should I stand for the Kaddish and when should I sit?
  • How do Ashkenazim and Sephardim handle the Kaddish differently?
  • How is the Kaddish done in Reform, Conservative, Orthodox, and other Jewish practices?
Exact content will depend on interests of students.  This seminar is for beginners who already know how to "decode," or read the Hebrew alphabet and vowels.

Schedule: monthly, on Wednesdays, 11:15 AM - 12:15 PM, at a private home in Newton Centre.  Currently scheduled for Nov. 28, 2007; Dec. 19, 2007; Jan. 16, 2008.  Future dates TBD.

Tuition: $30 at the door per student for each meeting.  To register, please send email with subject line "Kaddish Seminar."

Private Tutoring:

Create your own lesson plan, tailored to your specific interests and needs.   For example, you might want to focus on one of the following:

Private tutoring takes place in East Arlington on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays, during the day time.
Tuition

Biblical and Prayer Book Hebrew:

All levels use the same text book.

Advanced Beginners on Wednesdays, 7:30 - 8:30 PM at Temple Beth Zion, Brookline, MA

Prerequisites: Ability to conjugate simple Hebrew verbs in the perfect (past) tense; familiarity with Hebrew nouns in the masculine, feminine, plural, and construct state (s'mikhut); Biblical Hebrew vocabulary of 75 words.  We will start with a review of Chapter 10 of the text book and move on to the imperfect (future) tense.  Hebrew text study will focus on the fall holidays.
Fall Session II, 2007: Prerequisites: Same as above, plus ability to conjugate simple Hebrew verbs in the imperfect (future) tense, and Biblical Hebrew vocabulary of 100 words.  We will start with Chapter 12 of the text book.  Hebrew text study will include the Book of Ruth and other selections from the Torah and prayer book.
This six-week session is a continuation of the previous session, and meets on November 7, 14, 28; December 5, 12, 19.
Tuition: $140 for members of Temple Beth Zion or Kehillath Israel; $160 for non-members. Cancellation deadline is Monday, November 12.
Register
Homework for this class


Winter Session 2008: Prerequisites: Same as for Fall Session II, plus familiarity with use of adjectives in Hebrew.  We will start with a review of Chapter 14 of the text book.  Hebrew text study will include parts of the Shabbat service and the Book of Ruth.
This eight-week session continues from the fall, and meets on January 9, 16, 23, 30; February 6, 13, 20, 27, 2008.
Tuition: $185 for members of Temple Beth Zion or Kehillath Israel; $200 for non-members. Cancellation deadline is Monday, January 14, 2008.
Spring Session I, 2008: Prerequisites: Same as for Winter Session, plus a working knowledge of Hebrew prepositions with endings and possessive endings on nouns.  We will start with Chapter 17 of the text book.  Hebrew text study will focus on the spring holidays of Purim and Pesah.
This eight-week session continues from previous sessions and meets on March 5, 12, 19, 26; April 2, 9, 23, 30.
Tuition: $185 for members of Temple Beth Zion or Kehillath Israel; $200 for non-members. Cancellation deadline is Monday, March 10, 2008.
Spring Session II, 2008: Prerequisites: Same as for Spring Session I, plus familiarity with the Reversing Vav, Hebrew participles, and Biblical Hebrew vocabulary of 175 words.  We will start with a review of Chapter 18 of the text book, continue to translate familiar fairy tales rendered in Biblical Hebrew, and study texts related to the holiday of Shavu’ot.
This eight-week session continues from previous sessions and meets on May 7, 14, 21, 28; June 4, 11, 18, 25.
Tuition: $185 for members of Temple Beth Zion or Kehillath Israel; $200 for non-members. Cancellation deadline is Monday, May 12.

Advanced Intermediate on Wednesdays, 6:15 - 7:15 PM at Temple Beth Zion, Brookline, MA

Prerequisites: Ability to conjugate Hebrew verbs in the past, future, and participle tenses, as well as the infinitive and imperative voices, in Binyanei Pa’al, Pi’el, and Hif’il; familiarity with common prepositions and their endings, with possessive endings on nouns, and with s’mikhut (the construct state). Biblical Hebrew vocabulary of 300 words.  We will start with a review of Binyan Hif’il and then begin Chapter 26 of the text book.  Hebrew text study will focus on the fall holidays.

Fall Session II, 2007: Prerequisites: Same as for Fall Session I plus a thorough knowledge of Binyan Hif’il.  We will start with Chapter 27 of the text book.  Hebrew text study will include the Book of Ruth and other selections from the Torah and prayer book.
This six-week session is a continuation of the previous session, and meets on November 7, 14, 28; December 5, 12, 19.
Tuition: $140 for members of Temple Beth Zion or Kehillath Israel; $160 for non-members. Cancellation deadline is Monday, November 12.

Winter Session 2008: Prerequisites: Same as for Fall Session II plus familiarity with objective pronominal suffixes (“contractions”) in Hebrew. We will start with Chapter 28 of the text book.  Hebrew text study will include finishing the Book of Ruth, other selections from the Torah and prayer book, plus familiar and not-so-familiar Hebrew blessings.
This eight-week session continues from the fall, and meets on January 9, 16, 23, 30; February 6, 13, 20, 27, 2008.
Tuition: $185 for members of Temple Beth Zion or Kehillath Israel; $200 for non-members. Cancellation deadline is Monday, January 14, 2008.
Register
Homework for this class


Spring Session I, 2008: Prerequisites:  Same as for Winter Session, plus familiarity with Binyanei Nif’al and Hitpa’el and Biblical Hebrew vocabulary of 350 words.  We will review the complete system of Hebrew verb conjugation, pursue advanced text-analysis skills, and focus our Hebrew text study on the spring holidays of Purim and Pesah.
This eight-week session continues from previous sessions and meets on March 5, 12, 19, 26; April 2, 9, 23, 30.
Tuition: $185 for members of Temple Beth Zion or Kehillath Israel; $200 for non-members. Cancellation deadline is Monday, March 10, 2008.
Spring Session II, 2008: Prerequisites: Same as for Spring Session I, plus experience in Hebrew text study and analysis.  We will be using a new text book, and will also focus on the holiday of Shavu’ot.
This eight-week session continues from previous sessions and meets on May 7, 14, 21, 28; June 4, 11, 18, 25.
Tuition: $185 for members of Temple Beth Zion or Kehillath Israel; $200 for non-members. Cancellation deadline is Monday, May 12.

Advanced Intermediate on Wednesdays, 12:30 - 1:45 PM, at a private home near Newton Centre, MA.

Prerequisites: Know at least 300 words of Biblical Hebrew vocabulary, including numbers through 10; conjugate simple verbs in the past, future, and participle tenses; be familiar with common prepositions and their endings, with possessive endings on nouns, and with smikhut (the construct state). Conjugate verbs in Binyanim Pa'al, Pi'el, and Hif'il. We will start with a review of Chapters 24 and 25 of the text book.
Fall Semester 2007: This twelve-week semester meets on September 5, 19; October 10, 17, 24, 31; November 7, 14, 28; December 5, 12, 19, 2007. Tuition: $345. Cancellation deadline is Monday, September 10.
Register
Homework for this class
Spring Semester 2008: Specific dates for this semester will be chosen by the class in December, 2007

Adult B'nai Mitzvah:

Adult B'nai Mitzvah on Sundays, 11:00 AM - 12:30 PM at Temple Sinai, Brookline, MA

Taught jointly by Rabbi Andrew Vogel and Natasha Shabat.
Fall Semester 2007: First class meeting is on September 30, 2007, at 10:30 AM. (Group bar/bat mitzvah ceremony will be December 6, 2008.) This 15-month course is for members of Temple Sinai, plus a limited number of non-members. Please contact Rabbi Vogel or class coordinator Rose Mandelbaum at 617-277-5888, or Natasha Shabat at 781-643-1346, for more information.
Tuition: $250 plus books.
Register
Homework for This Class

 

Conversational (Modern) Hebrew:

Private Tutoring available.