BECOMING JEWISH
  • Welcome to Becoming Jewish!
  • What's New?
  • Reading Recommendations
  • About Our Rabbis
  • Jewish Places in the Bay Area
  • What Do I Have to Do to Become Jewish?
  • Why Be Jewish?
  • Online Jewish Resources
  • Our Conversion Stories
  • Judaism FAQ
  • Contact Us
  • Blog: Into the Jewish Pool
  • Media Coverage
  • Converting Outside the USA
  • Conversion Videos

What Is Haftarah and How Do I Chant It?

12/31/2020

0 Comments

 
Picture
















​Rabbi Milder of Congregation Beth Emek in Pleasanton recently share this description of Haftorah. You'll see that he is offering a class on how to chant. The cost to non-members of Beth Emek is $60. Take a look at the details.

The highlight of Shabbat morning is the chanting of Torah and Haftarah.
 
What is Haftarah? In spite of the similarity of the words, Haftarah has nothing to do with the word Torah. Torah means instruction, from a root meaning “to aim.” Haftarah, however, comes from a root meaning “conclusion.” It refers to the reading from the Prophets, which was implemented by the Rabbis as a conclusion to the Torah reading.
 
Haftarah was introduced in order to emphasize that the books of the Prophets are sacred. Unlike Torah, however, we only read selections from the Prophets over the course of the year. These excerpts are usually related thematically to the week’s Torah portion, but for certain weeks of the year, the Haftarah has to do with the season and its holy days.
 
One of the things that distinguishes the Haftarah reading from the Torah reading is that they are chanted to different melodies. The “trope” signs used to indicate the melody are the same signs, but they are sung differently when applied to Haftarah. Most of Torah reading can be thought of as being in a major key, while most of Haftarah can be thought of as being in a minor key.
 
Learning to chant Haftarah is like learning a set of musical patterns, and then applying each pattern (2 – 6 notes) to a word. It is fascinating, musically expressive, and a wonderful way to communicate the meaning of the text.
 
Anyone who has a basic Hebrew reading ability can learn to chant Haftarah. One of the advantages of Haftarah over Torah chanting is that the Haftarah may be sung from a printed text, including the vowels and trope signs, unlike Torah, which is chanted from a handwritten scroll. It’s a whole lot easier to remember!
 
I invite you to enroll in this winter’s adult ed class, Learn to Chant Haftarah. In seven sessions, I will teach you this beautiful melody. You’ll be able to chant a Haftarah passage when you are done!
 
Class begins on Sunday, January 10, from 3:00 – 4:00 pm online. We will meet on Sundays when there is religious school.
 
Enroll now at Learn to Chant Haftarah.
 
Rabbi Larry Milder


NOTE: You must be able to read Hebrew enough to recognize letters and pronounce words.

0 Comments

The Value of Learning Hebrew

10/15/2019

0 Comments

 
Picture
Do you HAVE to become fluent in Hebrew to convert? No. But you do have to learn SOME Hebrew. Why you must learn some of the language seems obvious to some, but here is a beautiful statement by Rabbi Larry Milder of Beth Emek in Pleasanton that expanses our understanding.




Unlock the Treasures
“Reading a poem in translation is like kissing a woman through a veil.”
So said the great Hebrew writer Hayim Nahman Bialik.

We are captives of our language. That is particularly true of our understanding of Judaism. We think we know what our texts mean, but, when read in English, we are only appreciating them through the filter of our language.

Language contains within it a world view. Yes, we can pray in English. Yes, we can study Torah in English. But we are missing the associations, the resonance of the text itself.
  • Puns: “Your name is to be Abraham, for I am making you the father of a multitude of nations” doesn’t make any sense in English, but in Hebrew, “Abraham” sounds like “father of many nations.”
  • Words built on common roots: Kiddush (the blessing over wine for Shabbat), Kaddish (the prayer recited by mourners) and Kiddushin (the wedding ceremony) are all related concepts (that which is set aside), something that cannot be recognized by calling them by their English names.
  • Acrostics: Ashrei, based on Psalm 145, is a poem in our prayer book that works as an acrostic, but entirely loses that device the moment it is translated.

This hardly scratches the surface of what is missing, or, for that matter, what is entirely misunderstood in translation.

As the expression goes: A translator is a traitor. (Actually, it goes “traduttore traditore.”)

The key to unlocking the treasures of Judaism is Hebrew. And learning Hebrew is easily within your reach, particularly the basic vocabulary that can make prayer understandable.

It’s not just meaning: knowing some Hebrew can enable you to see the beauty in the language of prayer.

Whether you are a beginner, or someone who needs a refresher, we offer a class for adults to learn Hebrew, starting with Alef-Bet, learning to read the Hebrew alphabet. It’s simple, fun, and instantly rewarding.
​
Beth Emek's Hebrew classes are listed here. Just about every synagogue offers Hebrew. Check the website of the synagogues around you.

0 Comments

Video on How to Have an Aliyah

7/16/2019

0 Comments

 
Picture
Members of Netivot Shalom in Berkeley created a video showing you how to have an aliyah at their shul. It is primarily for the use of their members. But it is very useful to anyone wondering about how an aliyah works.

Please remember that this video includes elements that are unique to the Conservative movement and even some that are unique to Netivot Shalom. In general however, this is how an aliyah is performed in a synagogue. Women are not called to the Torah in Orthodox synagogues. Women don't always wear kippot (or yarmulkes)
 in Reform synagogues. The chanted blessings are the same in all synagogues. 

View the video here.
Thank you to Robin Braverman and her fellow members for making this video!


0 Comments

The Mitzvah of Making a Minyan for Shiva

1/7/2016

0 Comments

 
Picture
In times of mourning there often feels like we are helpless to comfort the mourners. Judaism provides a very tangible way to support the bereaved. It can be as simple as showing up. It is a mitzvah to attend a shiva. Rabbi Creditor of Netivot Shalom sent this tender letter to his congregation recently.

You have likely noticed that our community is enduring a large number of losses. Each one is a universe, and every mourner is unique. We, as a community, do this mitzvah right: we show up for each other. 

If you haven't attended a shiva minyan before, please consider doing so. We will have simultaneous minyanim of comfort. That is a mitzvah we wish weren't necessary, one we take very seriously. It is less about the words than the quiet presence each one of us brings to a Shiva home. 

Some members have begun learning how to lead Shiva minyanim. Please contact me if you'd like to learn as well. And, if leading isn't your next step, please make every effort to be there for the members of our shul family who are enduring a loss. We will, unfortunately, all be there. We can count on each other. 

Please support our shul in making every minyan strong.
0 Comments

When you converted to Judaism, did you make the decision to join a synagogue?  Why or why not?

11/5/2012

2 Comments

 
Picture














Answers from our readers:​
#1  It's funny, but when I started the conversion process, I had little thought of joining a synagogue.  I didn't even think it was a possibility, or something I should do. I thought I should convert, and had my eye on the "prize."  During the Intro class I attended, I went to a couple of different synagogues, met some rabbis, and saw how each did things differently.  But I found myself going back to the same synagogue over and over, as things became more comfortable for me, and I began to recognize more people there, people who would stop and say hello.  It was the same synagogue as my rabbi.  

During my year-plus of study, I figured out that I needed to have a Jewish community, and that I needed to be where I had respect for the rabbis and felt warm and welcome when I walked in.  So, within a few months of my conversion, I joined Temple Sinai. 

#2  Yes, I did join the synagogue.  I was not pressured to at all, but I decided to join simultaneously with my Beit Din/Mikvah day.  It turned into kind of a nice ritual. I did the "ceremony" part in the morning, then went to the synagogue and gave them a check in the afternoon.  Felt like I was completing the circle of fully joining the community.

#3  Yes, at the time I didn't know of any other entry point into Judaism but to get connected to my local synagogue.  I knew nothing about how to contact a Rabbi outside of a synagogue setting.  We had no Jewish relatives, so it made sense to get connected to our local Jewish community for support and learning.

#4  I joined after my conversion was completed. I didn't think it made sense to be a member if I wasn't a "full" Jew. After converting, I wanted to be part of a community. The day of my mikvah, I received an email from the membership director, inviting me to become a member. I love being a member at Emanuel. What a wonderful community.

#5 (From DMD) It's the only way. They are soooo supportive!! All are so welcoming, & helpful. They will take you under their wings. It's all about community. Look around, find one you like. I love, love, love mine in Tucson, AZ.

2 Comments

    Thoughts from our Email List

    Hopefully our blog entries will concern issues that matter to YOU, the curious about Judaism.  Please let us know what you'd like to read about!

    Categories

    All
    After Conversion
    Anti Semitism
    Beit Din
    Blessings
    Child Conversion
    Christmas
    Circumcision
    Classes
    Connecting
    Conservative Judaism
    Conversion Process
    Dating/relationships
    Death/Shiva
    Find A Rabbi
    God
    Hanukkah
    Hatafat Dam Brit
    Hebrew Name
    Hell
    History
    Holidays & Fast Days
    Interfaith
    Israel
    Jewish Places
    Kashrut
    LGBT
    Mikvah
    Mitvot/Commandments
    Mourning
    Movements
    Non Jewish Family
    Non-Jewish Family
    Orthodox Judaism
    Parenting
    Passover
    Personal Stories
    Questions From Readers
    Reform Judaism
    Social Justice
    Spirituality
    Synagogues
    Torah
    Transgender
    Why Be Jewish?
    Yahrzeit

    RSS Feed

    Archives

    March 2025
    November 2024
    January 2024
    October 2023
    August 2023
    March 2023
    January 2023
    December 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    June 2020
    April 2020
    February 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    January 2019
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    March 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    October 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    August 2014
    May 2014
    March 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    July 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    December 2012
    November 2012
    September 2012
    August 2012
    July 2012
    June 2012
    May 2012
    April 2012
    March 2012
    February 2012
    January 2012
    December 2011
    November 2011
    August 2011
    May 2011
    December 2010
    November 2010
    October 2010
    September 2010

BecomingJewish.net is a great resource for anyone who is thinking about converting to Judaism or has recently become Jewish.