Ritual Skills Workshop – Yammim Noraim

Catalog description

This class will focus on one major block of ritual skills: gaining facility with leading the main parts of the service for the Yamim Nora’im. We will learn simplified versions of the (Ashkenazi) modes and motifs of Ma’ariv, Birkhot HaShahar and Pesukei d’Zimrah, Shaharit, Musaf, Minha, and Neilah. No singing background is required; the purpose of the class is to get students comfortable and fluent with basic davening skills for the High Holy Days. Insofar as we will be exploring the basic musical modes of tefillah, this may also serve as a good basis to davening other services (weekdays, Shabbat, holidays, etc.), because certain musical modes and certain liturgical texts are transferable, providing students with multiple reference points as they continue building their davening skills.