Classes in liturgy, sacred chant, Orthodox faith, and the Malayalam and Syriac of our worship, for the young people of the Jacobite Syrian Orthodox community in Australia.
Our children grow up in Australia, far from the villages and seminaries where the Syriac tradition was handed down. Sunday School lays the foundation. Beth Nuhro builds on it, so that young people can follow the Holy Qurbana in Malayalam, sing its hymns, read its Syriac and explain their faith with confidence.
We are a lay-led, not-for-profit academy, teaching in fidelity to the Jacobite Syrian Orthodox Church under the Patriarchate of Antioch, and seeking the blessing of our Metropolitan.
Ten-week terms following school terms. Weekend classes in parish halls in each city as local teachers come on board, with live online classes so families anywhere in Australia, including regional areas, can take part.
Our Qurbana, hymns and prayers are prayed in Malayalam. Children learn to read and write the script, read the Qurbana and Shehimo aloud, and talk with their grandparents. It is where younger children begin, before Liturgy and Choir.
The meaning and structure of the Holy Qurbana as prayed in our parishes in Malayalam and Syriac, the canonical hours, feasts and fasts of the Church year, and serving at the altar.
The eight tones of the Beth Gazo, Qurbana responses, and hymns for Passion Week and the great feasts, in Syriac, Malayalam and English.
The Creed, the sacraments, St Ephrem and the Fathers, the story of the Church from Antioch to Malankara, and answering questions at school and university.
The Serto script, reading the Qurbana text aloud, and the basic grammar and vocabulary of the language our Lord spoke.
Membership renews each 1 July. Class fees are separate, about $80 per stream per term, with a sibling discount. No child is turned away for inability to pay.
| Membership | Fee | For | Vote at AGM |
|---|---|---|---|
| Founding Family Until the first AGM, 2027 | $1,000 once + $120 a year | Every member of the household, children included, listed as founding members | Every adult; each child on turning 18 |
| Family | $120 a year | Two adults and their children under 18 | Yes, each adult |
| Ordinary | $60 a year | Baptised Jacobite Syrian Orthodox adults, 18+ | Yes |
| Friend of the Academy | $40 a year | Supporters of any background | No |
| Youth associate | $20 a year | Ages 12 to 17, or full-time students under 26 | No |
| Benefactor | $500+ a year | Individuals and businesses giving at a higher level | If also a member |
Online membership and payment open once the Academy is registered. Register your interest below and we will contact you first.
Beth Nuhro is one academy for the whole of Australia, run locally through chapters. Each chapter brings classes, choir and events to the families in its state, while online classes reach everyone in between.
A Chapter Lead and an elected chapter committee organise classes, find teachers and plan events, with a local priest as Chapter Chaplain.
Every chapter follows the same curriculum and safeguarding standards, and the Academy looks after money, insurance and contracts.
A chapter starts once about 15 families and two willing teachers are ready in an area. Until then, families join online.
Would you help lead a chapter in your state? Let us know.
Beth Nuhro needs a first circle of families to bring it into being. Founding families give a one-off $1,000 towards setting up the Academy: registration, insurance, teaching materials, books and the first term of classes. Every member of the family is recorded as a founding member, for good.
Once per family, towards setup. Pay in full or in up to four instalments of $250. The annual family fee ($120) also applies from 1 July 2027.
Parents, children and other family members in the household are all listed as founding members. Every adult votes at general meetings, and each child gains a vote on turning 18.
Founding membership is open until the close of the Academy's first annual general meeting in 2027. Founding families are named on the Roll of Founders.
This is a commitment, not a payment. No money is taken now. Once the Academy is registered as a company, the secretary will contact you with payment details and your founding membership form.
The founding contribution is not tax-deductible.
Gifts go to one of two funds:
Founding families. The quickest way to help right now is to become a founding family. Your $1,000 sets up the Academy and its first classes.
Donations are not tax-deductible at this stage. Bank details will be published once the Academy is registered.
Tell us who in your family would like to learn and which classes interest you. We will use this to plan the first term.
You can also speak to your parish vicar or a member of the founding committee, or write to us at info@bethnuhro.org.
Beth Nuhro