For me, it's far too late to atone for my slack study habits back when I was preparing for my Bar Mitzvah, but perhaps I can help out some struggling Hebrew school students out there with a quick pointer to the $1.99 iBless Torah app, a learning assistant specifically for the rite of passage for 13-year-olds.
iBless Torah includes the traditional blessings that kids learn & chant during their ceremonies, with audio assistance and word-by-word indications. I checked with the nearest available rabbinic authority -- my wife, whose ordination as a rabbi is scheduled for May -- and she gave it a thumbs-up. I'll let her feedback take it from here:
The Hebrew chanting is clear and slow, with each word highlighting as it's chanted, so it's easy to follow. I like that in the Settings you can choose to see just Hebrew, just transliteration, or both.
The 'About the Blessings' section gives good, concise information and there's a translation of the Torah blessings, which is nice. I'd like to see a translation of the Haftarah blessings added to the app. All the English explanations and translations refer to God as He, Him, and Lord; I would prefer gender-neutral language for God, but of course using masculine terminology when referring to God is very common.
The Reform Jewish tradition uses a blessing after the Haftarah that is significantly different from the one in this app. For the other three blessings, however, I would recommend this app to my students who are learning the Torah and Haftarah blessings.
Davka's other apps are worth checking out, as well. Good luck, kids, and remember: just imagine that the congregation is sitting there in their underwear. If that helps at all.TUAWiBless Torah provides a mobile trainer for Bar/Bat Mitzvah students originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Fri, 17 Sep 2010 17:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
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