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Home > What We Do > Learning: Youth > Youth Hebrew Learning

Youth Hebrew Learning

Youth Hebrew Learning

Beth Am is a part of an innovative new approach to Hebrew learning! To learn more, read A Different Type of Hebrew School by Sarah Lauing Cohen, Director of Learning and Educational Innovation.

Hebrew Tracks
Goals
Objectives
Frequently Asked Questions

Hebrew learning at Beth Am follows a “sound-to-print” approach, introducing the sounds of Hebrew early,  by integrating it in Hebrew-rich Youth Education programs for all our Pre-K through 5th graders. Once they have an aural and oral foundation in Hebrew, students have a choice of when and how they learn to read Hebrew:

TRACK 1: Onward Hebrew

TRACK 2: Basic Modern Hebrew

PreK-4th Grade
In the early years, all students build an aural and oral foundation for Hebrew in our Hebrew-rich Youth Education Programs, which include T'filah, Music, Hebrew Through Movement and learning Jewish Life Vocabulary.

Occurs during Sunday Program, Hagigah or Chavurah. No additional registration is required.

3rd-4th Grade
In this optional enrichment program, students learn to read earlier and have the opportunity to learn the fundamentals of Modern Hebrew vocabulary. They may begin in either 3rd or 4th Grade and will be placed by level.

Sundays 11:45 AM to 12:30 PM OR as Individual Tutoring. 
 

5th Grade
5th Grade students who have no prior Hebrew reading experience learn the Hebrew letters and build reading skills in a small group setting.

Weekdays on Zoom OR as Individual Tutoring. *Additional registration is ONLY required for tutoring.

5th Grade
Students who have been enrolled in the Basic Modern Hebrew track continue building Hebrew reading and Modern Hebrew vocabulary skills in this enrichment program.

Weekdays on Zoom OR as Individual Tutoring.

6th-7th Grade
6th and 7th Grade students learn Hebrew in small groups by level, providing an intimate and accelerated environment to reinforce reading skills and explore the meanings of our prayers and key t’filah vocabulary.

Sundays 9:00 - 10:00 AM OR as Individual Tutoring.

Beit Midrash
Seven months prior to the date of their B’nei Mitzvah, students switch from 6th-7th Grade Hebrew into Beit Midrash, our cohort-based study hall model for B’nei Mitzvah preparation. Together with their peers, supervised by tutors and madrichim, students learn and practice the prayers they will lead on their B’nei Mitzvah.

Sundays 9:00 - 10:00 AM 

Read more about our Beit Midrash and B’nei Mitzvah preparation programs.

Goals

  • Hebrew is the language of our sacred texts, prayers and rituals, the state of Israel, and the shared vehicle for communication among all Jews.
  • The study of Hebrew engenders connections with Judaism and the Jewish community everywhere.  
  • Through learning Hebrew at Congregation Beth Am, students develop a Jewish cultural literacy which deepens their Jewish identity and helps contextualize Jewish values, history, and ritual.  
  • Hebrew learning prepares our young people for active participation in Jewish life, from home holiday observances to milestones like B’nei Mitzvah to prayer spaces they will encounter throughout their adult lives.  

 

OBJECTIVES

Hebrew Reading

  • Identify the names and sounds of Hebrew letters
  • Decode, meaning to sight-read syllables and words
  • Feel confident in their Hebrew decoding skills

Prayer Competency

  • Read and chant prayers for Shabbat morning and
    evening and home blessings
  • Understand key words and themes in Jewish rituals and prayer (Baruch atah Adonai, siddur, etc.)
  • Feel confident in prayer spaces
  • Value Hebrew as a sacred language

Cultural Literacy

  • Use important Jewish words and phrases in Hebrew as part of their Jewish lives (e.g. shanah tovah, haggadah, mazel tov)
  • Understand key modern Hebrew words in conversation ( e.g. todah/ thank you)
  • Sing Hebrew songs
  • Value Hebrew as a relevant part of their Jewish identity
Wed, May 21 2025 23 Iyar 5785