Hebrew

The goal of the Hebrew Language program is to help students to:

• strengthen and enhance their ability to communicate effectively in spoken and written Hebrew;
• expand their vocabulary and grammar skills through specific exercises and reading;
• develop knowledge and appreciation of the depth and variety of Hebrew literature;
• strengthen their affinity to the land of Israel, and
• build their Jewish identity and be ambassadors of this identity in the world.

The program provides students an opportunity to acquire, develop, and expand proficiency in and knowledge of Hebrew language, Jewish literature and thought, and the culture of modern Israel. The program is designed to enable students at all levels of Hebrew proficiency to master the Hebrew language. Students in the program follow one of two paths: Hebrew Literature, for students with appropriate language skills, and conversational Hebrew, for students who need to develop and strengthen their language skills before they can master literature.

Students on the Hebrew literature path read stories and poems written in contemporary Hebrew. The selections, adapted from Israeli textbooks for ninth through twelfth grades, introduce students to themes in Jewish and Israeli culture that are of universal interest and particular to the Jewish and Israeli experience. The content of the literary selections provides rich opportunity for class discussion and students to respond to the literature orally and in writing.

The Conversational Hebrew classes focus on developing students’ communicative and literary skills in Hebrew. The dialogues and texts relate to everyday life activities. Topics include: school (schedule and classes), clubs, neighborhoods, family, and holidays, weather, clothes, leisure, travel, transportation, sports, the human body, health, habits, people and places, and professions. In addition, students explore the various aspects of the contemporary Israeli society as they are portrayed in modern Israeli films and current articles from Israeli newspapers.