Finding Their Place in Community via Hebrew
In his April 13 memo to American Jews, David Hazony makes a strong case for the importance of Hebrew, and in typical Jewish fashion, readers lob back counter arguments.
Ten years in Hebrew-as-a-second-language education have taught me that students who are genuinely engaged with Hebrew find the question of Hebrew’s importance moot — they have made their own meaning.
Jewish educational institutions must provide Hebrew learners with this meaningful encounter with our language. Educational leaders who see Hebrew as a window to personal intellectual growth as well as a key to Jewish continuity can ensure that Hebrew is taught in an ambitious, intellectually demanding way, with high standards and excellent teachers.
All Hebrew students can tackle important ideas and authentic texts, learning through experience to think, argue, dream and create in Hebrew. When students have used Hebrew for Midrash and texting, for S.Y. Agnon and Etgar Keret, for songs, sports, satire and science, they will be able to find their own place in the vibrant community of Hebrew culture.
Naomi Stillman
Newton Centre, Mass.
A message from our CEO & publisher Rachel Fishman Feddersen
I hope you appreciated this article. Before you move on, I wanted to ask you to support the Forward’s award-winning journalism during our High Holiday Monthly Donor Drive.
If you’ve turned to the Forward in the past 12 months to better understand the world around you, we hope you will support us with a gift now. Your support has a direct impact, giving us the resources we need to report from Israel and around the U.S., across college campuses, and wherever there is news of importance to American Jews.
Make a monthly or one-time gift and support Jewish journalism throughout 5785. The first six months of your monthly gift will be matched for twice the investment in independent Jewish journalism.
— Rachel Fishman Feddersen, Publisher and CEO