In this 6-week class, we will create a fun, dynamic, and supportive container for participants who already have some familiarity with traditional Ashkenazi Torah trop to practice and build on their skills. There will be some review of trop families, with slightly more emphasis on the more difficult forms, though the class will primarily be structured around the emergent needs of the students. If you aren’t sure if this class is appropriate for you, please don’t hesitate to reach out (though if there is the desire and even a small amount prior experience/exposure, that is really all that is needed!). 

Reading from our sacred text in the original form is a holy act, and an honor that should be accessible for all who want to develop the skill. You do not need to be a skilled singer- all voices welcome! This class is especially welcome to BIPOC, queers, women, and anyone who feels overwhelmed by this process. This class will be geared to all types of learners- kinesthetic, auditory, visual, reading/writing. Students will be given musical notation of the trop; however, reading music is absolutely not necessary. Students of all ages welcome. Priority RSVP deadline is June 23.

Dates

  • Class will meet via Zoom onTuesdays 4 pm pst/6 pm cst/7 pm est

  • Class meets weekly from June 30 - August 4

  • Classes will run for 1 hour and 30 minutes

It is totally acceptable if you cannot make some nights- this is to be expected for a six-week summer course. All classes will be recorded and materials will be sent out.

Cost

  • Sliding scale $180-360

  • Solidarity rate* of $108 is reserved for BIJOCSM (Black, Indigenous, Jews of Color, Sephardi, and or Mizrahi folks)

  • If you are interested in taking the class but cost is a barrier, please reach out.

  • Synagogue/community discount: 3-4 members for $450, 5-7 members for $750

*This is a discount for people who have been historically and continue to be disenfranchised from Jewish community. 

Please reach out to Yedid.shapiro@gmail.com with any questions.

Sign up here!

Leyning with Heart 2024 Siyyum (celebratory final class) where participants leyned for each other!

Testimonials:

“Yedid is an incredible teacher of Torah and I loved their leyning class. As an adult learning Torah for the first time, I was intimidated, but their class was fun, accessible, nonjudgemental, and incredibly empowering. They gave everyone in the class so much individualized attention and tailored the class to each of our learning styles and levels of knowledge. They even sent us all recordings and materials so that we could continue practicing on our own!! Can’t recommend studying with Avra enough, they are a blessing of a person and an amazing teacher!”

-Elijah Burger, past participant and member of Western Mass queer/trans Havurah 

“I am so, so grateful for this course. I became an adult B-Mitzvah at age 67, which was my first introduction to chanting Torah – and I loved it.  But as in many hard, new skills, I was able to chant the lines of my passuk, but didn’t really grasp the fundamentals.  My shul recommended this course and I jumped at the opportunity. Yedid’s teaching includes a systematic introduction to each trope with clever, interactive ways to practice and put them to memory. They provided valuable audio resources (I still refer to them!), their singing is sweet and accessible, and their approach promotes confidence. Now I chant Torah regularly at my shul and I’m extremely grateful for the learning I did with Avra!”

-Miriam Cohen, past participant and member of Kolot Chayeinu 

“Leyning with Heart was so much fun! There was a great mix of activities that catered to different learning styles. I loved learning with people of various ages and with a mix of people who were refreshing their chanting skills and those who were learning trope for the first time. The class prepared me well to leyn at my synagogue soon after, and I now plan to keep doing it regularly.”

-Eve Gutman, past participant and member of Kol Tzedek

Past Classes:

Pictured: Yedid holding a Tikkun, the book used to prepare to read from the Torah