CONGREGATION BETH SHOLOM Torah Academy

Goals and Objectives

Shabbat is at the core of our community at Congregation Beth Sholom. While Shabbat can be celebrated in many ways, the center of the service is leyning (chanting/reading) the weekly parsha (portion) from the Torah scroll. Leyning — giving voice to the words, stories, and laws from the Torah — is a practice that goes back to the earliest days of our people. At Beth Sholom, lay leaders help us fulfill this responsibility. We hope you will join us together, as a community of learners, as we will embark on the holy and exciting journey of learning to read Torah. 

The Beth Sholom Torah Academy will combine group learning and 1:1 tutoring sessions to enable you to:

  • Learn the skills of leyning Torah and deepen your connection to this sacred ritual

  • Develop an ongoing relationship with your tutor and/or havruta (study partner)

  • Strengthen your connection to Beth Sholom and to each other

  • Take your place as a valued part of our team of regular Torah readers 

HOW IT WORKS

Each participant is paired with a tutor for 1:1 sessions (30-minute sessions x 20 sessions). Students who need more time are welcome to make private arrangements with their tutor.

  • Each participant will be learning in the context of their own aliyah and will commit to one future aliyah within 6 months of completion of the program

  • The program culminates with a “Torah Academy Shabbat” where we celebrate the accomplishments of our new Torah readers.

Cost: $360 for members and $540 for non-members

Please reach out to ritual@bethsholomsf.org if you are in need of financial assistance. 

Cohort closed — join us next year!

schedule


In addition to the one-on-one sessions with your tutor, we will be convening three times as a cohort over the course of the year:

Sunday, October 22
9:00 a.m. — 12:00 p.m. 

Session 1: The Art of Chanting Torah
with David Henkin and Rabbi Russell

Chanting Torah is a method and an art. Hear from David Henkin, co-founder of the Mission Minyan and longtime Ba'al Koreh (regular Torah reader) at Congregation Adath Israel and other Bay Area synagogues, and get the bigger picture: How do the chanting symbols and precise pronunciation shape the meaning of the text enhance our experience of the Torah in a communal setting? What are some of the differences and connections between reading as study and reading as performance?

Sunday, December 3
9:00 a.m. — 12:00 p.m.

Session 2: Decoding Unfamiliar Phrases
with Marilyn Heiss

Peer Check-in and Support

This session is a chance to connect with peers about what is working and what is not working. What can you learn from each other and your experience? What phrases have been particularly challenging and how can you overcome them? 

Sunday, February 11
9:00 a.m. — 12:00 p.m. 

Session 3: Putting It All Together
with Rabbi Russell and David Bayer

You have been studying for six months and now it is time to tie it all together. Learn how to read and practice from a Tikkun. Take a chance at reading from the scroll and in the sanctuary. Hold the yad and figure out how best to follow along.

Saturday, March 9

Torah Academy Shabbat

Celebrate your achievements surrounded by community and friends. How awesome!

Questions?

Contact us at ritual@bethsholomsf.org.