B’Ḥol Ot is a liturgical Hebrew curriculum. It honors the diversity of Jewish practice, offers gender-expansive language for liturgy and Nonbinary Hebrew adaptations, and emphasizes Hebrew as a rich and holy language: the language of the Torah, and of most of our blessings and prayers.
In every letter are worlds, souls, and Divinity.
יֵשׁ בְּכָל אוֹת עוֹלָמוֹת וּנְשָׁמוֹת וֶאֱלָהוּת
Coming Soon:
Introduction to the Shabbat Torah Service
Closing the Shabbat Morning Service
Pre-Primer
B’Hol Ot was featured in the Capital Jewish Museum’s 2025 exhibition “LGBTJews in the Federal City.” Students contributed worksheets using Nonbinary Hebrew Project adaptations.
Hebrew Primer
The B’Ḥol Ot Hebrew Primer is a 12 unit curriculum that teaches decoding (sounding out Hebrew) and basic translation skills through liturgical vocabulary and excerpted stories from the Torah, Tanakh, and liturgy. The decoding curriculum can be followed by a liturgical curriculum which draws on the same skills and vocabulary.
Liturgical Curriculum
The B’Ḥol Ot liturgical curriculum repeats and expands on concepts from the decoding and reading curriculum. It presents problems in and adaptations to Jewish liturgy, inviting students to engage and struggle with core ideas and disagreements from Jewish history and modern Jewish thought. For example, students will consider the idea of “chosen-ness” as it appears in prayer through excerpts from Torah, Tanakh, and modern thinkers, some of whom challenged, and some of whom affirmed, and others who modified the idea of Jews as a “chosen people.” Students will consider the questions:
- Did God choose the Jewish people, or did the Jewish people choose God and Torah?
-
Chosen for what? Or, what are the special obligations and responsibilities that come with chosen-ness?
Students will also consider what it means to pray for a return to, or a rebuilding of, Jerusalem:
- Are we making physical requests, or is this request part of a spiritual plea?
- What is the relationship between modern political ideas and ancient spiritual yearnings?
Introduction to the Shabbat Morning Service
Introduction to the Shabbat Morning Service covers:
- An introduction to pronominal suffixes
- Preparatory prayers:
- Modeh Ani
- Elohai Neshamah
- The Shema and her Blessings:
- Yotzer Or
- Ahavah Rabbah
- Shema
- V’ahavta
- Introduction to the Amidah
- Avot v’Imahot: the first blessing of the Amidah
Coming Soon
Introduction to the Shabbat Torah Service
Introduction to the Shabbat Torah Service covers:
- Ein Kamocha
- VaYihi Binsoa
- Shema…Gadlu
- Birchot HaTorah
- Etz Chayim Hi
Closing the Shabbat Morning Service
Closing the Shabbat Torah Service covers:
- Aleinu
- Mourner’s Kaddish
- Adon Olam
Pre-Primer
The B’Ḥol Ot Pre-primer will introduce the letters of the Alef-Bet through guided, hands-on craft, Lego, and coloring activities. Just like the primer, it will offer gender-expansive language for liturgy and Nonbinary Hebrew adaptations, and emphasize Hebrew as a rich and holy language: the language of the Torah, and of most of our blessings and prayers.