Your son sits down at home, at the same time each week, and the Rabbi is on the screen. That is an online Bar Mitzvah lesson with Rabbi M. Sabbah: 45 minutes, live on Zoom, just the two of them. The Rabbi hears every word your son reads and corrects it there and then. Nothing is pre-recorded, and nobody travels.
Your son opens Zoom on a computer or tablet, in a quiet room, and the Rabbi is already there. He reads aloud and the Rabbi follows every word. When a word is wrong, or a note of the tune is wrong, the Rabbi stops him, says it, and has him say it again until it is right.
Over the months he learns his Torah reading with its cantillation (the tune the words are sung to), the blessings said before and after the reading, the haftarah, how to put on tefillin and his Bar Mitzvah speech. He also practises standing up and reading with confidence. After each lesson he has MP3 recordings to practise with during the week.
Rabbi Sabbah teaches four traditions: Sephardi, Ashkenazi, Chabad and Yerushalmi. Most boys follow their family custom. If you are not sure which one that is, ask your own Rabbi, or bring the question to the assessment. There is more in which tradition should he read in.
Families choose online lessons for the teacher and for the consistency. You choose the Rabbi who has read the Torah every week for over 15 years, and who teaches your family’s tradition. Because there is no travel, the weekly lesson happens, around school, sport and family life. Fewer missed lessons means a boy who is ready on the day. And after every lesson he has MP3 recordings to practise with all week.
You choose a lesson time on the booking calendar, which shows times in your own time zone. Lessons are live every time and never recorded, and the Zoom link is sent to you after you book.
In a group, the teacher hears a room. Here the Rabbi hears one boy. He knows exactly which word your son stumbles on, and he spends the lesson on that word. A boy who reads Hebrew comfortably moves quickly. A boy who is starting from the alef-bet takes more time. Either way, lessons begin where he is. If your son cannot read Hebrew yet, read Bar Mitzvah lessons for a boy who cannot read Hebrew.
We recommend 8 to 12 months of weekly lessons, aiming to be ready about six weeks before the date. How long to prepare for a Bar Mitzvah has the detail. Not sure of the date? Use the Bar Mitzvah calculator, or read when is my Bar Mitzvah and what is my Bar Mitzvah parsha.
Rabbi M. Sabbah has served as a pulpit Rabbi for over 15 years, reading the Torah every single week. He teaches students in his community and beyond, and his students have included boys in France, Italy, Spain, Monaco, Los Angeles, New York, Miami, Singapore, Melbourne and Sydney. He teaches lessons himself, but his schedule fills up, so depending on the time zone and his availability, your son may be scheduled with another teacher from the start.
Can my son start if he cannot read Hebrew?
Yes. We begin where he is, and the assessment shows how many months he needs.
Is the lesson live or recorded?
Live, every time. Lessons are never recorded, and the Zoom link is sent to you after you book.
Who teaches the lessons?
Rabbi Sabbah teaches lessons himself, but his schedule fills up. Depending on the time zone and his availability, your son may be scheduled with another teacher from the start.
We already have a teacher nearby. Why learn online?
Many families do, and a good local teacher is a fine choice. Families who choose online lessons do so for the Rabbi’s experience (over 15 years reading the Torah every week), for his teaching of all four traditions, and because a weekly lesson at home, with no travel, is a lesson that actually happens. Your son can still celebrate his Bar Mitzvah at your own synagogue, and we can help connect you with your local Rabbi.
How long is each lesson?
45 minutes, once a week.
What does he learn?
His Torah reading with its tune, the blessings, the haftarah, tefillin and his Bar Mitzvah speech.
What does he need at home?
A computer or tablet with Zoom, a working camera and microphone, and a quiet place to sit.
Which tradition will he learn?
Whichever your family follows: Sephardi, Ashkenazi, Chabad or Yerushalmi. Most boys follow their family custom, so if yours is unclear, ask your own Rabbi first.
Where do we hold the Bar Mitzvah if he learns online?
Wherever you choose: your own synagogue, or any place with a Torah scroll and a minyan. We can help connect you with the Rabbi of your local synagogue, or with another synagogue or Rabbi, to arrange the date and the setting.
Do you teach boys outside Australia?
Yes. Rabbi Sabbah has taught boys across Europe, the United States, Singapore and Australia. The booking calendar shows lesson times in your own time zone.
What is the assessment?
A 30-minute session on Zoom with Rabbi Sabbah. Your son reads, and the Rabbi tells you how many months he needs. If you continue, it is credited in full toward the first month.
Book a 30-minute assessment on Zoom with Rabbi M. Sabbah. Your son reads a little, the Rabbi listens, and you ask what you came to ask. If you then continue, the assessment is credited in full toward the first month. If you are still comparing teachers, read how to choose an online Bar Mitzvah tutor first.
Questions first? Message us on WhatsApp or use the enquiry form.