The Haftarah is a passage from the Nevi’im (Prophets) that is recited after Torah reading on Shabbat and Festival mornings (and on some afternoons too). 

The origins of this reading are lost in the mists of time. Was it in response to persecution, polemics or was it part of an ancient educational methodology? Why were these particular chapters or portions chosen? How did this come to be associated with bar-mitzvah celebrations? Sadly, for many, the reading of the Haftarah has become an opportunity to escape the shul service and get a schnapps; swapping a 2,000-year-old for a 12-year-old. 

This course is an opportunity to unpack this often-overlooked part of the shul service, and discover some of the most beautiful texts in the world, their prophetic authors, the patterns that they created – and a very different blend.