Shabbat, Festivals & Weekday
Nusach and Nigun
Do you want to learn the traditional chants and melodies so that you can lead Shabbat and Festival prayer? In this series, Joey teaches the prayer chant for Shabbat, Festivals and weekday davening, as well as his favorite melodies, and discusses his unique approach to leading each service, including Hallel.
Course Outline
Kabbalat Shabbat
Welcoming the Sabbath with the Friday evening service, a selection of Psalms and devotional prayers developed by the Kabbalists of Tzfat in the 1500s. (20 videos)
Shabbat Maariv
If Kabbalat Shabbat was long, make the next service quick! Learn the special nusach for Friday night's Maariv service. (17 videos)
Pesukei D'Zimrah
From the very physical morning brachot (blessings) to the triumphant universalism of "Nishmat Kol Chai," learn Saturday's introductory service. (12 videos)
Shabbat Shacharit
From Barchu and the Shema to the Amida and the beginning of the Torah service, learn the liturgical choreography of Saturday morning. (18 videos)
Shabbat Musaf
Traverse the "additional service" of Musaf that follows the Torah and Haftorah readings on Shabbat morning, using major and minor melodies. (17 videos)
Shabbat Havdallah
Leading the simple yet powerful Saturday night service, which marks the end of the Sabbath with special sensory accompaniment. (2 videos)
Festival Nusach
Learn the special melodies and liturgy for the Shelosh Regalim - Passover, Shavuot and Sukkot - including Maariv, Shacharit and Musaf services. (6 videos)
Hallel
A song-filled service of praise invoked on the major holidays of the Jewish calendar, as well as Rosh Chodesh, the beginning of each new month. (13 videos)
Weekday Nusach
Learn to lead the prayer services of a "regular" weekday, including Maariv, Shacharit and Mincha, favoring groundedness over drama. (4 videos)
Nusach Roadmap
Understand the arc of prayer from an aesthetic, spiritual and energetic point of view. Consider how to bring everyone into the prayer experience. (6 videos)
Modes of Nusach Ashkenaz
Learning the scales and modes associated with the predominant nusach in America. Fundamentals of music theory as it relates to Jewish prayer. (6 videos)
Access Everything for $18/Month
Jump into music, prayer, and artistry today! Explore all of the master classes in Jewish song and prayer with Joey Weisenberg, including 18 comprehensive courses (1000+ videos) in the Jewish spiritual soundscape, from communal song (nigun) and prayer-leading (nusach), to musical wisdom (Torah), composition, and playing of instruments, as well as virtual events for members and an extensive archive of live performance videos.
Sample video from this nusach series:
Frequently Asked Questions
This course is designed for anyone who wants to become a prayer leader or who wants to expand and refine his or her skills as a ba'al tfilah, with particular focus on all the major prayer services related to Shabbat, Festivals (the Shelosh Regalim) and regular weekdays.
Through learning the nusach in these videos — and, crucially, by trying them in real life — you can become a prayer and song leader in your community.
You will learn all of the major liturgy for Shabbat, Festival and Weekday services, including Hallel, and be able to lead any of these services at a synagogue or other prayer gathering. In addition, you will acquire familiarity with fundamental concepts of music theory as it relates to traditional Jewish music and develop the aesthetic and spiritual sensitivity to bring diverse groups of people together in powerful song.
There are more than 100 videos organized into 11 units. Videos are up to 15 minutes long, amounting to many hours of instructional sessions with a master practitioner.
- Nusach Roadmap
- Kabbalat Shabbat
- Shabbat Maariv
- Pesukei D'Zimrah for Shabbat
- Shabbat Shacharit
- Shabbat Musaf
- Shabbat Havdallah
- Festival Nusach
- Hallel for Holidays and Rosh Chodesh
- Weekday Nusach for Maariv, Shacharit and Mincha
- Modes & Scales of Nusach Asheknaz in America
Many people emerge from Joey's workshops eager for a systematized series that can help them to take their inspiration and bring it into the world. This series is for you!
If you have never attended a workshop with Joey, please come sometime! In the meanwhile, this series will help you make music in your community.
The structure of this series allows aspiring practitioners of every level to plot a path to nusach mastery at their own pace. Some may choose to focus on Kabbalat Shabbat while others will want to grasp the finer points of leading Hallel. Choose your own nusach adventure!
