Reading from the Torah can be nerve-racking and exhilarating in the same moment. Seventeen members of the adult B'nai Torah class will accept the challenge, and the honor, as they are called to the Torah May 7.

When they began this journey, B'nai Torah class members ranged in skills and backgrounds. Some said they wanted to refresh bar and bat mitzvah lessons long forgotten, others were learning Hebrew from scratch.

A few had missed out on b'nai mitzvah growing up and others who converted to Judaism said they wanted to understand more of the Hebrew they knew from songs and common prayers.

To help members meet their goals, cantorial soloist Meryl Weiner offered a course to teach adults to read Hebrew, study Torah and understand prayer. The class met regularly for more than two years.

"It's very rigorous," said Lynn Rothberg, who took the class with her husband Don. Rothberg said she learned early on that cramming on the day of class was not going to be enough.

On top of studying from Hebrew workbooks, the class also delved into theological questions through readings and discussions that went beyond basic language skills.

Class members said they faced many challenges, from learning trope to chant their Torah portions to trying to remember the root words listed in their workbooks. But many agreed that the biggest challenge was what the class called "reading from the left side of the page," the side in their books where the vowels and trope marks were omitted as they are in the Torah.

The group recently had its first practice run reading from the scrolls. Class members sat in the sanctuary and shared praise and helpful hints.

"I think everybody is going to feel a little nervous," Rothberg said.

But she also said she feels ready for the big day. "It's a wonderful experience."

Class members said that even though they are about to reach their initial goal, they hope to continue meeting and learning together.