Learn to Leyn

A 10-session course where we learn to sing the words of our Torah.

Have you ever wanted to read the Torah? To make it your own and to be able to chant it using the ancient melodies of our ancestors? To get nerdy about it with a bunch of lovely queers? Mich Sampson and Moose Hale lead this friendly, chilled introductory course in leyning [chanting] the Torah.

About the course

Part 1 (5 x 75 minute sessions)

This covers the what, why, and how of chanting the Torah. We’ll learn some basic principles and some of the most important melodies in our tradition. We’ll be using the Western Ashkenazi Shabbat trope [collection of tunes], most commonly used in the UK. We’ll be on Zoom, and we’ll use a mixture of whole class teaching, work in small groups, and (gentle!) individual, optional homework.

Tutorials

We’ll take a week’s break to consolidate our learning and have paired tutorials for more tailored learning

Part 2 (5 x 75 minute sessions)

In Part 2 we’ll take ownership of a piece of Torah and learn how to chant it! To do this we’ll also learn and practise more of the melodies we need, and at the end of the course we’ll celebrate our learning by chanting our Torah portion to each other.

Times and costs

Regular cost

The entire course costs £140, meaning each lesson costs £14. By paying for this level, you can help support another student in their studies.

Scholarship cost

The entire course costs £75, meaning each lesson costs £7.50. We have two of these available per cohort. First come, first served.

Supported cost

The course is 90% off. We don’t ask for proof of income. We have two of these available per cohort. First come, first served.

MONDAYS with Moose Hale: 11am - 12:15pm

A ten-session course starting 20 January, 11am - 12:15pm, with a tutorial week after 5 sessions. No session on 17 March. Last session is 7 April

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THURSDAYS with Mich Sampson

A ten-week course starting 23 January, 7.30pm - 8.45pm, with a tutorial week after 5 sessions. No session on 13 March. Last session is 10 April

You do need to be able to read Hebrew (that is, Hebrew that has the vowels written in), but you don’t need to be fast!
No opera-level singing required! It’s more important that you feel confident to sing, and if you know that people usually recognise what you’re singing, even better!
All sessions are recorded so you can watch back if you need to miss a session for any reason.