What are some of the aspects of learning the Hebrew language that can help a student?

“The limits of my language mean the limits of my world” w​rote Ludwig Wittgenstein in 1922.

Conversely, when you push past the limits of your language, you expand the horizons of your world. If you know Hebrew, you can say and understand the word “davka” – a concept impossible to express in a single English word. You can relish new Israeli words like tidluk (filling your gas tank) or taklitor (CD) because you know Hebrew grammar and vocabulary. You can smile delightedly when you encounter “ein ladavar sof” in the Mishna, because you learned the expression just the other day and people are still using it!

Is that all? what are the other benefits in creating a culture in which Hebrew speaking is something that we just love doing and growing with?

Here are some more reasons:

● Relationship to Israel and the Jewish people worldwide ­​What better vehicle to forge a bond with Klal Yisrael and with the State of Israel than language. The language works on both a modern conversational level, as well as on a liturgical level.

● Mastery of Hebrew promotes students’ understanding of their history​, culture and tradition, strengthening Jewish identity and fostering a sense of belonging to the Jewish people.

● Mastery of Hebrew enables our children to read and study biblical and rabbinic texts, liturgical and modern Hebrew literature, with intelligence and appreciation. Hebrew is the path to deeper, more authentic engagement with texts.

● Bilingual children have been shown to outperform their monolingual peers on standardized tests ​in all subjects as well as on and tests of cognitive development, problem­solving and higher order thinking.

● Bilingual children demonstrate greater self­confidence​and more creativity than monolingual children.

● Hebrew is the international and cross­generational Jewish language​.

These are just a few good reasons why the Hebrew language should be deserving the highest attention in Jewish Day School.

And because we cannot provide true immersion (a full school day in Hebrew and exposure to Hebrew outside of school),we must provide a detailed and carefully planned curriculum that combines content with grammar and linguistics in a thoughtful, linguistically sequential way.

In Theodore Herzl’s famous words: “If you will it, it is no dream :אגדה זו אין תרצו אם

We Can Graduate Students Who Know Hebrew!

These reasons and more on the power of the Hebrew language were published in Ravsak issue of HaYidion ​magazine.


Sammy Lontok