Computer technology is amazing. And digitalHaftarah® is amazing software! Just what you would expect from the collaboration of an educational psychologist and a master Hebrew teacher, both of whom have 30 years of experience. DigitalHaftarah® utilizes a thorough understanding of current brain research into how people learn. Learning is an active process. DigitalHaftarah® is designed to maximize your interactivity with the material you are learning. There is no software on the market that teaches you how to learn the Haftarah more effectively than digitalHaftarah®.
Remember, however, you still have to practice and work hard. It’s your Bar or Bat Mitzvah, not your computer’s! The computer is a little too bulky to bring up to the Bimah anyway! The digitalHaftarah® program does not replace a human teacher, it only supplements him or her. Judaism places a special value on the face to face transmission of our tradition and no amount of modern technology will ever change that. Finally, there are variations in the trope melodies from community to community and from teacher to teacher. There may be some differences between this program and your teacher. Consult your teacher on how to proceed.
The program opens with the training window visible. Choose the appropriate option form the side menu if you would like to study the Blessings, Haftarah, Maftir or the Trope. The sounds for the Haftarah, Maftir or Blessings are manipulated by the control panel (or keyboard equivalents) on the lower part of the window. Chanting the torah, haftarah and prayers is Fred Rheingold, our expert Hebrew teacher. His voice is clearly annunciated, non-intimating and easy to follow. Text appears on the screen in clear, easy to follow format.
It is through your interaction with the verses as you practice that learning takes place. Select a verse, press the space bar to hear it chanted, and then press it again to pause and allow you an opportunity to try it for yourself; click rewind or “r” if you are in doubt about a word. Press the space bar to continue and repeat the process. Before you know it, you will have it mastered! Most importantly, relax and keep it fun!