Trope Beginnings and Tzedakah Project

In our first religious school class, we had a discussion about צדקה Tzedakah. How the word צדקה stems from the Hebrew root [.צ.ד.ק] and means justice. We defined justice as creating a balance or creating equality for a person or persons in need. We discussed and hypothesized different ways of giving צדקה including: donating money, giving of our time, being an advocate, creating awareness etc. After many worthy causes, organizations and charities were brought up, the students voted and ultimately chose: Wright-Way Rescue in Morton Grove.

Sundays during Hebrew school, we will be focused on the study of cantillation, also called trope. In our introductory lesson we learned that trope functions in three ways: 1. to provide a melody in which to chant 2. to provide syllabic stress 3. to give punctuation by telling us whether one word connects or separates from the word that follows. Trope is divided into 6 clauses or families. Today we learned the first clause called אתנחתא Etnachtah, which consists of four symbols: מרכא טפחא מנח אתנחתא (Mercha Tipcha Munach Etnachtah). Each week we will build on our study of Torah Trope – until each student is able to chant all 6 clauses. As I explained to the students at the end of class, it is my goal that the students be life-long Torah and Haftarah readers, not just able to read their Bar or Bat Mitzvah portions from rote learning.

We have a fantastic group of students, and I am really looking forward to what the rest of the year holds.

G’mar Chatimah Tova,
Marla Aviva

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