NATHAN, 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 |
| Tu, Sep 16, 2025
5-5:20pm Cantor’s Office |
Intro to B’nei Mitzvah Tutoring method
Intro to Webpage Write name, phone number, and email address on BM folder (provided) Prepare Blessing Before and After Torah reading |
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. Homework this week: Learn Blessings Before and After Torah Reading (PDF | MP3 – Before | MP3 – After) |
| Tu, Sep. 30
5-5:20pm |
Review 2 Torah blessings
Prepare Torah Trope 1st half |
Learn Torah Trope 1st half using the correct MP3 below (ie., not the MP3 for haftara).
Keep practicing and smoothing out Torah Blessings |
| Th, Oct 9
4:40-5pm |
Review Torah Blessings
Review Torah Trope 1st half Prepare Torah Trope 2nd half |
Learn Torah Trope 2nd half using the correct MP3 below.
Go back and smooth the whole page out from the beginning |
| Tu, Oct 21
5-5:20pm |
Review Torah Trope Sheet
Prepare Maftir 6:5-6 |
Learn Maftir 6:5-6 |
| Tu, Oct 28
5-5:20pm |
Review Maftir to date
Prepare Maftir 6:7 up to Ad b’heimah |
1. Smooth out Maftir 6:5-6 from last week. Make sure to block off 3 study times during the week, 15-20 minutes each.
2. Learn Maftir 6:7 up to ha-adamah (make sure to sing all the notes of the munach before it, and pronounce ha-adamah correctly) |
| Tu, Nov 4
5-5:20pm |
Review Maftir to date
Prepare Maftir, rest of 6:7 and 6:8 |
Learn Maftir, rest of 6:7 and 6:8
Don’t forget to review and smooth out everything learned so far! |
| Tu, Nov 11 | NO LESSON – CJG at Rabbinical School Retreat | Keep smoothing out everything! |
| Tu, Nov. 18
5-5:20pm |
Review Maftir
Practice Maftir from the STA”M side Prepare Haftara Trope |
Learn Haftara Trope sheet. Spend some extra time on the two t’lisha notes (k’tana and g’dola)
Review maftir a few more times from the Torah-looking (left) side |
| Tu, Nov 25
5-5:20pm |
Review maftir from the Torah (left) side
Review Haftarah Trope sheet Prepare Blessing before the Haftara. |
Learn Blessing before the Haftara. |
| Tu, Dec 2
5-5:20pm |
Review Blessing before Haftara
Prepare Haftara 42:5 and 42:6 up to b’yadecha |
Learn Haftara 42:5 and 42:6 up to b’yadecha
Smooth out Blessing before Haftara |
| Tu, Dec 9
5-5:20pm ZOOM TODAY |
Review Haftara to date, including blessing before Haftara
Prepare Haftara rest-of-42:6 and 42:7 |
Learn Haftara rest-of-42:6 and 42:7
Keep smoothing out the opening of the haftara up to that point! |
| Tu, Dec 16
5-5:20pm |
Review haftara to date with the blessing before it
Prepare Haftara 42:8-9 |
Smooth out Haftara 42:6-7
Learn Haftara 42:8 |
| WINTER BREAK | NO LESSONS ===> | Keep smoothing out all of your haftara with the blessing before it. |
| Tu, Jan 6, 2026
5-5:20pm |
NO LESSON (CJG Conference), but please do homework at right ==> | Learn Haftara 42:9 using the audio file (as usual!) |
| Tu, Jan 13
5-5:20pm |
Review Haftara to date with blessing before
Prepare Haftara 42:9-10 |
Finish learning Haftara 42:9
Learn Haftara 42:10 Practice your maftir a few time. I suggest singing along with the audio file a few times. |
| Tu, Jan 20
5-5:20pm |
Review Haftara to date
Prepare Haftara 42:11-12 Review Maftir |
|
| _____________ | ____________________ |
Torah / Haftarah Trope (PDF | Torah Trope MP3 | Haftara Trope MP3)
Blessings Before and After Torah Reading (PDF | MP3 – Before | MP3 – After)
Maftir B’reishit (all in Gen. Ch 6) (PDF | MP3)
| 5 – 0:00 | 6 – 0:21 | 7 – 0:36 | 8 – 1:06 |
Blessing before Haftara (PDF | MP3)
Haftara B’reishit – shorter Sefardi option (all in Isaiah 42) (PDF | MP3)
| 5 – 0:00 | 6 – 0:36 | 7 – 1:03 | 8 – 1:21 | 9 – 1:39 | 10 – 1:59 |
| 11 – 2:22 | 12 – 2:45 | 13 – 2:57 | 14 – 3:19 | 15 – 3:39 | 16 – 4:00 |
| 17 – 4:43 | 18 – 5:03 | 19 – 5:15 | 20 – 5:40 | 21 – 5:54 |
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
Torah Trope – DONE
Maftir aliya – DONE
Haftara Trope – DONE
Blessing before Haftara – DONE
Haftara – IN PROGRESS
Blessings after Haftara –
Torah Processional –
Torah Recessional –
D’var Torah (with Rabbi ???) –
Other items as time allows: Other Torah aliyot; Musaf; Hallel