Read It in Hebrew appeals to people at all levels of Jewish education, including those without any prior experience in Jewish learning as well as those for whom it is a fun refresher course.
According to a survey by the Pew Research Center, only half of American Jews (52%) can read Hebrew. To fill this gap in Jewish education, the Rohr Jewish Learning Institute (JLI) has developed Read It in Hebrew, an innovative Hebrew reading course.

With interactive flashcards and its own app for remote learning, Read It in Hebrew uses the latest technology to combine timeless learning methods with contemporary psychology for a course guaranteed to be effective in only five sessions.

Read it in Hebrew was piloted in just five communities in 2016. Since then, it’s been taught at more than 600 locations across North America, enabling more than 6,000 people to read Hebrew — and interest is building.

In Salt Lake City, Utah, a city with a relatively small Jewish community, the course has run three times to increasingly large classes. The instructor, Rabbi Avremi Zippel, also teaches it to Birthright participants as a follow-up for their trips to Israel and online to people in four time zones. In Stony Brook, New York, more than 40 students enrolled as soon as the flyers went out. Rabbi Shalom Ber Cohen, Stony Brook JLI instructor, is delighted to announce a rerun of the course soon.

“The popularity of Read It in Hebrew suggests that it meets a deeply felt need,” said Rabbi Menachem Caytak of Chabad Jewish Center of Troy. “Many feel lost in synagogue simply because they don’t know how to read Hebrew. Learning to read Hebrew strengthens one’s connection to Judaism and the Jewish people in a powerful way.”

Read It in Hebrew appeals to people at all levels of Jewish education, including those without any prior experience in Jewish learning as well as those for whom it is a fun refresher course. With flashcards depicting the letters alongside catchy mnemonics, Read It in Hebrew feels like a game of concentration. And students also get a glimpse of the profound depth of the Hebrew language, including brief Talmudic and Kabbalistic explanations of the letters. Enrollment is open to the public, and attendees need not be affiliated with a synagogue, temple or other house of worship.

The Hebrew reading course will begin Wednesday, July 5, from 7-8:30 p.m. and continue for five consecutive Wednesdays at the Chabad Jewish Center of Troy, located at 3306 Auburn Road in Auburn Hills. Cost is $50 and includes flashcards and the app.

Interested students may call (248) 873-5851 or visit jewishtroy.com/hebrew for registration and for other course-related information.

https://www.thejewishnews.com/news/local/five-week-hebrew-reading-course-coming-to-troy-chabad/article_af134988-14e4-11ee-83ff-6bc6bbeb946b.html