Nesiya

    Thanks to the generosity of the Jewish Fund for the Future, Kol HaLev has a T’filah/Hebrew program, which is called Nesiya. “Nesiya” means journey, which is what participants have been on. Now in its third year, Nesiya focuses on the t’filah (prayer) experience, both in decoding (recognizing and sounding the aleph-bet and vowels) t’filot, as well as the spiritual and intellectual elements of t’filah. The lessons will be a combination of chevruta (small group) learning, project based learning, and technology. The goal is that a graduate of this program will be able to comfortably participate in a Kol HaLev worship service and find it to be a meaningful experience.

    There are three levels to the Nesiya program - aleph, bet and gimmel, based on the journey of the individual learner. Each level will meet once a week for one and a half hours. To determine the best fit for each student, there will be a short assessment at the beginning of the year. The program meets at the Ratner School on Sunday mornings. Timing is determined by the level of the learner.

    As Nesiya meets for a short time, there is an expectation that families will participate in reinforcement activities. One activity is Chaverim B’telefon (Friends on the phone). Each student will be paired with a member of the community who they will connect with via a technological means (telephone, Skype, FaceTime, etc.) or in person weekly. The students and their partners will be provided with materials, yet the families will be responsible for the partners connecting.

    As we are striving to build an amazing, cutting edge program, Nesiya will continue to evolve as the year progresses. We are open to your constructive feedback, and look forward to partnering with you as this program grows. Our hope is that through this discovery, we will create a Hebrew learning experience that will engage our children, as well as produce a love of learning.

    Kol HaLev does not require attendance at Nesiya and recognizes that there are many different learning needs and styles. If the Nesiya program does not meet your family’s needs, there are several options available. Kol HaLev endorses congregational, private groups and individual learning of Hebrew. If you would like a list of congregations, tutors and tutoring groups in the area, please contact Robyn at robyn@kolhalev.net.