Conjugation For Liberation

a six-week crash-course in Talmudic grammar with SVARA

Thursdays, February 11th–March 25th*

8:00–9:30 PM ET | 7:00–8:30 PM CT | 5:00–6:30 PM PT

*We will not meet on Purim, February 25.

We’re so excited to announce Conjugation for Liberation, SVARA’s 6-week Talmudic grammar class! Taught by SVARA Fellow and systematic grammar nerd extraordinaire Amir Starr Weg, in this class you’ll liberate yourself from grammar’s obscurity, familiarize yourself with the Hebrew and Aramaic verb systems (binyanim), learn to recognize and conjugate Hebrew verbs, and learn to use tools for decoding Aramaic conjugations.

About this learning space:

This course is designed for folks who are feeling strong in their basic Hebrew skills, feel confident identifying roots and affixes, and are ready to delve deeper into the verb system to enhance their Talmud skills.

This class is for you if:

  • You’ve gained some experience with Talmud study at SVARA
  • You can vocalize Hebrew words with some ease
  • Learning more grammar feels like the next tool to add to your Talmud study tool-belt

In the first two weeks of this course, we’ll cover an overview of the Hebrew verb system and learn the regular conjugation paradigm of Hebrew’s simplest binyan together. We will then give you the tools to learn the remaining six conjugation paradigms on your own—with support on your journey, for those who want it, in optional sessions three and four. In the final two weeks we will familiarize ourselves with Aramaic binyanim and the tools we can use to crack Aramaic conjugations. However, you don’t even need to know what those words mean in order to come learn this stuff with Amir! That’s what we’re gonna learn together!

What you’ll need:

  • a Hebrew conjugation workbook provided by SVARA
  • the book Grammar for Gemara and Targum Onkelos by Yitzhak Frank which you can purchase from Koren Publishers (~$30) or your local Jewish bookstore
  • a Jastrow dictionary will be handy but for this course accessing it online will be fine. (If you would like a hard copy—and, really, you should get one for all your learning—you can order one directly from the publisher here or from your local Jewish bookstore.)

Registration & Cost:

As a yeshiva, SVARA aspires to be radically inclusive and is committed to creating spaces that center the voices and experiences of those who have been marginalized from Jewish life and learning. In order to maintain a diverse learning community that demographically represents our wide range of learners, we have implemented a 2-step registration process that allows us to reserve space for underrepresented identities. We have set a goal of maintaining a significant majority of queer- and trans-identifying people in attendance at each of our programs, as well as prioritizing the participation of people of color and people with disabilities. 

We will be admitting registrants on a rolling basis. You should expect to hear from us within three business days based upon the receipt of your registration.

Tuition for this course is offered on a sliding scale of $75–325. If the tuition scale is beyond your means, you will be offered the opportunity to make a contribution that is meaningful to you.

REGISTER NOW!

Your Teacher:

Amir Weg (he/him) – SVARA Fellow

Amir has been a student of Talmud and a SAVARA-nik since 2013. He joined the staff in 2017, and serves as SVARA’s Yeshiva Administrator. Amir is a member of the second cohort of the SVARA Teaching Kollel and runs workshops in Hebrew/Aramaic grammar at Queer Talmud Camp and other programs. Outside of the beit midrash, he spends his time listening to podcasts, watering his numerous house plants, and cooking Shabbat dinners.