However, in modern Hebrew, as in classical Greek, Latin, German (including Ashkenazi pronunciation), and all other Indo-European languages, these distinctions don’t exist, with both letters pronounced similarly to the original כ sound. Historically, Quf and Kaf represented distinct sounds, a differentiation still evident in Arabic. However, in some languages like French, it represents just a "k" sound. Q : In the Latin alphabet, "Q" is usually found in the combination "qu," representing a "kw" sound in many languages, including English. However, in languages like Italian and Latin, it is always a hard "k" sound. In English, it can represent a "k" sound (as in "cat") or an "s" sound (as in "cent"). It represents a voiceless velar plosive, the same sound as the hard "k" in "kite."Ĭ : Another letter in the Latin alphabet, its pronunciation varies significantly between languages. K : This is a letter in the Latin alphabet, used in English and many other languages. Without the dagesh, it is a softer sound, similar to the "ch" in the Scottish "loch." When it has a dot in the middle, known as a " dagesh ," it is pronounced as a hard "k" sound. Kaf (כ) : Also a letter in the Hebrew alphabet, it has two forms: the regular "Kaf" and the final form "Khaf Sofit," which is used at the end of words. In classical Hebrew, it represents a voiceless uvular stop, similar to the "q" sound in Arabic. It is usually transliterated as "Q" or "K" in English. Quf (ק) : This is a letter in the Hebrew alphabet. The letters under consideration here have the following subsequent phonetic and historical backgrounds: Ultimately, Hebrew, Greek, and Latin all historically stem from the Phoenician alphabet (and were-very roughly speaking-adopted as those alphabets in the 10th-8th centuries BCE). Our focus now shifts to the Hebrew letters Quf (ק) and Kaf (כ). It's important to note that classical speakers of Greek and Latin (and much later- early German), lacked the 'sh' sound, leading to the Anglicized renditions of Hebrew names like Moses and Jesus, originally pronounced as Moshe and Yeshu(a) in Hebrew. If you have any questions about your child using phonetic Hebrew (the English transliteration) when preparing for the bar mitzvah or bat mitzvah, please contact Rabbi Jason Miller.I previously examined the usage of the Hebrew letter ש to represent both 'sh' and 's' sounds ( pt. God does not mind if a Jewish child chants the Torah portion or leads Hebrew prayers using Hebrew letters or from the English transliteration. Is using the English transliteration considered cheating or “a crutch” when preparing for a bar mitzvah or bat mitzvah ceremony? No. Is using the English transliteration considered less than authentic? No. The tutoring sessions will be geared to your child’s ability. Rabbi Jason works with students of all levels and abilities. Regardless of Hebrew literacy background, Rabbi Jason will prepare your son/daughter for the bar/bat mitzvah service. Many Jewish children did not attend Hebrew school for a variety of reasons and some only attended for a short period of time. Hebrew school is not a requirement to become a bar mitzvah or bat mitzvah - as stated earlier. Using English transliteration (phonetic pronunciation of the Hebrew words) will greatly help them in their bar mitzvah and bat mitzvah preparation. If your son or daughter has not had several years of Hebrew School learning in which they have mastered the Hebrew alphabet and can now decode Hebrew words, there is a very simple solution. This brings to mind the question of using the English transliteration of the Hebrew - what some refer to as the phonetic Hebrew. All of the rituals we have come to expect a Jewish child to perform to commemorate their entry into Jewish adulthood, like reading Torah or having an aliyah, delivering a d’var Torah (speech) or performing a mitzvah project, are all ways to make the bar or bat mitzvah lifecycle event more meaningful and memorable - but they are not required. Based on this explanation, there is nothing specific that one has to do ritually - that includes attending Hebrew School, reading Hebrew, chanting Torah or Haftarah, or leading prayers.Ĭontrary to popular opinion, a Jewish child does not have to be called to the Torah for an aliyah to become a bar or bat mitzvah. Technically, a Jewish child does not have to do anything to become bar or bat mitzvah - they only have to be alive and reach that milestone birthday. Phonetic Hebrew Reading (English Transliteration)Ī Jewish boy becomes a bar mitzvah on his 13th birthday and a Jewish girl becomes a bat mitzvah on her 12th birthday (some observe the 13th birthday for girls also).
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