Various Sunday mornings, 9:00-11:30 a.m., October 5, – April 12
Instructor: Dr. Al Ray
Fee: $60 for Beth Israel Members; $90 for nonmembers

In this unique and popular class, Dr. Ray combines Hebrew language instruction with Jewish lore. Half the content focuses on learning the Hebrew letters, starting with their stand-alone sound and gradually evolving into words used in our prayers. The remainder of each session is filled with tastes of Kabbalah (Jewish mysticism); Gematria (analysis of the numeric equivalents of Hebrew letters); Jewish history, law and legend; explanations of Jewish rituals, liturgy and more…all in an informal “ask your teacher” ambiance.

This class, Jumpstart Hebrew (November 20), or the ability to sight read Hebrew, is a prerequisite for Beth Israel members planning to become adult b’nai mitzvah in 2016.