The Teacher’s Guidefor “Reishith Binah”

How to TeachThe Hebrew Reading Crash Course

by Florence Wiener

Teacher’s Guide for “Reishith Binah”How To Teach The Hebrew Reading Crash Course

By Florence Wiener

Published by the

National Jewish Outreach Program

989 Sixth Avenue, 10th Floor, New York, NY 10018

800-44-HEBRE(W) www.njop.org

82006 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

In Memoryof

Samuel Lucky Berson k”z

Short of immortalityNo one could have lived life better

Bonnie & Steven E. Stern

Heather and David SternSamuel and Lola

Dara and Evan BehrensSasha

thebrew reading

crash course The National Jewish Outreach Program (NJOP) is happy to welcome

you to its acclaimed Crash Course in Hebrew Reading (HRCC). Over thepast eighteen years (1988-2006), more than 194,000 North American Jewshave learned to read Hebrew through this course. An amazing 77% of theHRCC students have gone on to take additional courses, usually the secondlevel Hebrew reading or the Crash Course in Basic Judaism.

Our research indicates, that while a significant number of students dropout of their first Hebrew Reading Crash Course (up to 1/3, sometimes more),95% of them come back a second or third time until they master Hebrewreading.

NJOP has made the Hebrew Reading Crash Course its “flagship” programbecause the HRCC effectively serves as a non threatening cultural venue forJews who are unaffiliated or marginally affiliated. We have found that thiscourse provides the students with an unusual feeling of Jewish empowermentwhen, after the second or third lesson, students are able to read full wordsand sentences!

This also explains our choice of the RReeiisshhiitthh BBiinnaahh text to serve as ourprimer. Because the text is based on the siddur, it provides an opening forreligious discussion and learning. While NJOP is certainly interested inteaching every North American Jew to read Hebrew, our not-so-subtle hiddenagenda is to engage Jews in Jewish life. Thank G-d we have seen this happencountless times through the HRCC, and we are proud of the HebrewReading Crash Course’s success in bringing Jews back to synagogue forregular prayer services.

Of course, dear teacher, none of this would happen without your help.We want you to know how much we appreciate the time, effort and love thatyou have invested in this vital endeavor. We know that you will spare noeffort to follow up with your students. As you know, reaching out is easy.Follow up is difficult and critical.

As you surely know, North American Jewry is facing its most crucialchallenge: Will there be, fifty years from now, a viable North AmericanJewish community as we know it today? To a great extent, the answer liesin your hands. Thank you for helping us ensure a bright and vibrant Jewishfuture for our brothers and sisters, sons and daughters.

This Teacher’s Guide has been the product of many years of labor,with love and devotion, of NJOP’s enormously talented Hebrew TeachingSpecialist, Florence Wiener. To watch Florence teach is to behold a masterartist at work. That she has been able to transfer so much of her artistry tothis teacher’s guide, is a tribute to her dynamism and uncompromisingcommitment to spread her belief in the primacy and critical importance ofHebrew reading.

The beautiful layout and design of this workbook is a reflection of themulti-talented efforts of Melanie Notkin, NJOP’s Marketing Consultant, withhelp along the way from Gila and Miriam.

One of the commentaries on the Pessach Haggadah interprets the state-ment “uk j,p ,t wkutak gsuh ubhtau” as meaning: That the response to thechild who doesn’t even know to ask should be “ .,t”

: - Aleph to Tav, teachhim/her the Hebrew alphabet! Once again profound thanks, for joining inthese efforts.

With best wishes,

13 Av 5766 Ephraim BuchwaldAugust 7, 2006 Director

I

coverview

The National Jewish Outreach Program Hebrew ReadingCrash Course is designed to teach the entire Hebrew alphabet andbasic reading skills in five 1-1/2 hour sessions, using the Hebrew primerReishith Binah. This particular primer has the advantage of beingbased on the siddur, making the transition to the prayer book simpler.Classes are usually scheduled for 5 weeks, but they can be coordinatedto fit any timetable that is good for you and your students. Manyinstructors do extend the Crash Course to 6-8 sessions, butmarketing it as five attracts more students.

The process of gaining mastery of the Hebrew alphabet can be atruly thrilling experience for the non-Hebrew reader, with vast implicationsfor both students and teacher. The sense of satisfaction of finally beingable to read a Hebrew sentence often inspires students with a desire to domore: to learn to pray, to study Bible, to learn conversational Hebrew,etc. So, the teaching of a Hebrew Reading Crash Course should beviewed as an opportunity to gently lead students to greater Jewishinvolvement and further religious growth.

It is not unusual for students to form real attachments to their teachers.Instructors are encouraged to maintain contact with their students,arranging for them to be invited for Shabbat dinner, taking them toShabbat services, or sitting in with them at Torah classes.

The actual teaching of the Hebrew reading class is really quitestraight-forward. Introduce yourself and say a few words about why youare excited to teach the Crash Course. (You are excited about teaching-aren’t you?) Also, please mention that this course is sponsored by theNational Jewish Outreach Program.

Ask participants their Hebrew names. If they don’t know them,encourage them to find out. If a student doesn’t have one, let him/herknow that you will help them select a name.

Take a few moments to clarify the course’s objectives. You will beteaching the class to read Hebrew. There will be no emphasis onvocabulary, writing, etc., but translating key words and phrases can makethe experience more meaningful. Please stress the need for consistentreview. Students should devote at least 15 minutes a day to review theirlessons. Daily review often means the difference between successfullycompleting the course, and an unsatisfactory experience.

Every instructor has his/her personal style. One very successfulmethod of teaching is to have everyone in the class read aloud together.Indicate the page number and line to be read. You will quickly identifywho is able to keep up with the class and who is having difficulty. Somestudents feel pressured or threatened when called upon to read individually;try not to place students in a situation which might prove uncomfortablefor them.

Although the teacher’s guide is based on the Sephardit pronunciation,the Reishith Binah can be used for either Ashkenazic or Sepharditpronunciation. Take a few minutes to explain the differences between thetwo. Also please remind students that Hebrew is read from right to left!

II

III

dDuring the first class, try to cover as many lessons as possible.

Although you are free to divide the primer in any way you prefer, we havefound the following division to be most helpful:

Session 1 - End with lesson 12 on page 18Session 2 - End with lesson 23 on page 29Session 3 - End with lesson 31 on page 37Session 4 - End with lesson 42 on page 48Session 5 - Learn lessons 42, 43, 44, 47, 52

Turn to page 56 - Read and sing Read the Shema on pages 57-58

In the final lessons, try to incorporate some readings from the liturgy ofthe holiday which coincides with the conclusion of the Crash Course, e.g.,Dayenu, blessing for Chanukah candles, Unetaneh Tokef, etc.

For those students who feel that you are going too quickly, perhaps a fewminutes of individual attention at the end of the session might be helpful.Each new lesson should begin with a brief review of the past lessons.Encourage students to bring tape recorders which will further enhance theirreview sessions. Students may also wish to purchase the audio tape whichaccompanies the Reishith Binah, available from NJOP for $5.

Remember, dear instructor, to use your sense of humor. In general,don’t hesitate to use jokes, stories, etc. Sing wherever and whatever youcan.

It is often difficult to strike a balance between teaching Hebrew andresponding to some of the general questions about Judaism whichstudents ask. It is, in fact, a good sign if students are left feeling that there isa lot more they need to know. But please, be careful not to be distractedfrom the basic goal of teaching the students to read Hebrew.

Often students drop out along the way. Don’t feel badly, it’s not yourfault. If you wish to call absent students - fine; but don’t get upset. We findthat dropouts usually return for a second (usually successful) try later on.

We strongly recommend that you consider a “graduation” party withrefreshments at the conclusion of the final session. It is often a profoundand moving experience for student and teacher.

We have provided “Diplomas” which you may distribute to all studentswho have successfully completed the Crash Course. Encourage“graduates” to continue practicing by reading the “Shema” in the morningand evening. Show them where to find it in the siddur.

Finally, please accept our thanks for a job well done, and takepleasure in the knowledge that you have helped to bring your studentscloser to Judaism.

On a personal note, I wish to acknowledge the inspirational roleplayed by my father, Isak Bauman, z”l, whose life work and fine characterserve as a role model for excellence, creativity, and love for all people.

Florence WienerHebrew Teaching Specialist

overview continued

IV

Hand out the mnemonic aleph bet chart. Simpleas it may seem, the first and most crucial step to a suc-cessful HRCC is to assure your students that Hebrew isprobably one of the easiest languages to learn. GIVETHEM CONFIDENCE! Let them know that they will walkout of the first session “reading words”. Show your studentsthat the key to learning and retaining the sounds of the lettersand vowels is for them to “focus” on the similarities anddifferences of the letters. Explain that all “look-alike” lettershave been positioned together on the chart, and that thekey to success is to learn to differentiate between these“look-alike” letters. Once they know and understand thesedifferences, this knowledge will prove invaluable. Remember,a sense of humor, mnemonic devices and personality arethe essentials for success in teaching this course.

To make teaching the Hebrew Reading CrashCourse even easier, we have produced a $10 video entitled:“How to Teach the Hebrew Reading Crash Course.” It maybe a good investment for your synagogue or organization.

“I’ve NEVERtaught

ANYTHINGbefore, let

alone adifferent

language! Tobe honest, I’m

a little

nervous!”

At NJOP, wehave never had

a volunteerinstructor say

that theyregretted

teaching theHebrew

Reading CrashCourse.

Maybe it’sbecause once

you get started,the students’

elation at read-ing this 5,000year-old-lan-

guage, makeseverybody’s

fears vanish.The most

important thingto remember is

to have fun!

tteeaacchhiinngg tteecchhnniiqquueess

aannddhheellppffuull

hhiinnttss

1

session #1

These letters are silent and take on the sound of the vowel.

Aleph

Looks like X Looks like Y

Ayin

FIGURE 1

silent letters, tell your students that theAleph looks like an “X” and the Ayinlooks like a “Y”.

Page 8 AH/AWThe next vowel looks like a little

“Tee” (call it anything you like). It hasthe same sound as the “stick vowel” inthe Sephardic pronunciation, (theAshkenzic pronunciation would be “aw”as in “saw”). Again, have the class readonly a few lines on this page since lines3 - 10 all have the same sound.

Page 9 BETTell the class they will remember

this letter by thinking of an open boxwith a BALL in the center (See FIGURE#2, next page.) The dagesh can be veryconfusing since there are so many dotsand dashes throughout the text. At thistime, I suggest that you tell the class tofocus only on those dots which willchange the sound of the letter, such asthe Bet and Vet. Explain that all other dotsserve a significant grammatical purpose,but are unimportant at this stage.

This first session should endwith lesson 12 on page 18.

Page 7, lines 1 - 4 AHHave the class pretend that they

are at the doctor’s office and have atongue depressor in their mouths; thesound would be the same - the vowelwhich looks like a “tongue depressor,”(we call it the stick vowel) has an “ah”sound.

There is no reason to have theclass read all the lines (you are, after all,dealing with adults). Two or three timesis sufficient until it gets more difficult. Atall times use your own judgement todetermine the proper amount of repeti-tion.

Lines 5 - 8 ALEPHYou can mention that there are

two silent letters in the Hebrew alphabet,the Aleph, (the actual name is notimportant for your students at this time),is one of them. The silent letters pick upthe sound of the vowel. (See FIGURE #1below). As a way of remembering the

t g

2

Page 10 VETNotice that this letter looks like the

open box without the ball. It is void ofthe ball or there is a VACUUM in thecenter. Teach your students how todistinguish between the letters. Showthem both the Bet and the Vet andexplain that while these two letters lookalike, the minor difference of a dotchanges the entire sound of the letter(See FIGURE #2 below).

Once again, use your discretionin determining how much repetition isnecessary when reading these lines.

A new vowel is learned on thispage as well. While you may be able todistinguish between a Shva Na and ShvaNach, your class will find it confusing.Therefore, I suggest that for now, tell theclass that the two vertical dots are silent,and that only the sound of the letterabove the vowel is sounded.

Page 11 EEThe next vowel has the “long EE”

sound, as in BEE. It is seen in twodifferent forms, either as a dot under theletter, or as a dot and “hook” (or apostrophesymbol) which follows the letter. Bothforms represent the same sound whichagain, is “EE”.

From personal teaching experience,I have found that calling this Yud a“hook” is less confusing for the students

than telling them that it is the letter Yud.This method avoids introducing both anew vowel and a new consonant at thesame time. However, if you find that thisapproach only increases confusion,please feel free to identify this as a Yud,a letter with its OWN sound, which theywill “formally meet” later. Indeed, theYud serves two purposes: it is a vowelhelper as well as a consonant. What isimportant is that your students eventuallygrasp this concept.

At this point, all the practice linesshould be read in order to reinforce whathas been taught. Continue to makesure that the class is concentrating onthe differences between the letters andvowels in order to insure successfulreading.

Page 12 MEMThis letter has the same sound as

the “M” in MOTHER. When introducingthis letter, tell your students to look at thetop of the letter and notice that on oneside it comes together to form a MOUNDor MOUNTAIN. Distinguishing minordifferences in letters is now essentialbecause of the similarity between letters,eg. the Mem and the Tet. If students donot focus on these differences, they willcontinuously confuse these letters later.(See FIGURE #3 next page).

Tell your students they will formallymeet the Tet later on, but it always hasthe “tear on top.”

VOIDof Ball

Vacu

um

BALL

Open B

ox

Vet Bet

FIGURE #2

c c

Page 13 RESHAfter introducing the sound of this letter, have the students notice the ROUNDED

corner to the right of the letter. Instruct them to look for this round curve at all timesso as not to confuse this letter with the Daled. The strong resemblance betweenthese two letters often causes much confusion (See FIGURE #4 below). Now, introducethe Daled as the “look-alike” partner and show your class how this letter protrudes outand then DENTS in. It is different from the Resh which is completely rounded on the“Right” side.

Rounded

Dents In

Resh Daled

FIGURE #4

For easy “look-alike” reference, pleaseturn to the Aleph-Bet chart on the last

page of this handbook. The mnemonicchart was designed to help make

look- alike letters simple to distinguish.

Tear on Top

Tet

Mountain orMound

Mem

FIGURE #3

3

ny

r s

Chupah

Chet Hey

HoleorHalfa line

Closedin on 3sides

4

Page 14 HAYAfter introducing the sound of this

letter, inform your students that when theHay comes at the end of a word it issilent. One way to help studentsremember the sound of this letter is byinstructing them to look at the left side ofthe letter, which only reaches halfway tothe top. There is a HOLE, or the line isHALVED. This is important because ofthe similarity between the Hay and theChet (See FIGURE #5 above).

Page 15 AYINAs mentioned earlier, this letter,

like the Aleph, is silent and takes on thesound of the vowel (See FIGURE #1,page 2).

A new vowel “...” (“eh”) is alsointroduced on this page. The sound ofthree dots in a triangle, therefore, is thesame as the short “E”, as in TELL, orthree EGGS in a nest.

It is a good idea to occasionallyreview the vowel and/or letter sounds inan entertaining way. After completing anew letter or vowel, review all the soundslearned up until that point. For example,ask the class to identify the sound of thevowel that looks like a stick or tonguedepressor. The class will respond withthe “ah” sound. Continue in this mannerwith the rest of the vowels and letterslearned thus far. Ask the followingquestions: What sounds do the followingvowels make? A little “T”? Two verticaldots? One dot under a letter? Threedots in a triangle?

Hold up a flash card with each of

the letters learned, and ask the class toidentify the sound of that letter. This is afun way for the entire class to review,because it moves very quickly andreinforces what has already been taught.You can either write the vowels on achalkboard or use flash cards, which areinvaluable visual aids.

Page 16 OHThis new vowel has the long “O”

sound as in OVER. It is represented inone of two forms, either as a hookedstick (or Vav) with the dot directly over it,or just as a dot which will be OVER thetop left side of the letter. As previouslymentioned regarding the Yud, the Vav,too, can serve in two capacities - so useyour own judgement!

Page 17 DALEDThis letter looks very much like

the Resh learned earlier. Once again,point out the difference between the twoletters, and indicate that this letter whichhas the “D” sound does not have thesmooth rounded corner, rather it protrudesand then DENTS in on that very same side.

Once again, hold up these twoletters so that the class can actually seethe difference between the letters whenthey are adjacent to one another (SeeFIGURE #4, page 4). Always makecertain that your students have theirmnemonic “look-alike” chart in front ofthem when you are teaching the “look-alike” letters. Bring “extra” charts toclass with you in case a student forgetshis/hers at home.

FIGURE #5

vj

Page 18 FINAL MEMThis letter is a MATE to the Mem which was discussed earlier (See FIGURE #6 below).

The sound is the same; the difference is merely the fact that the Final Memcomes only at the end of a word.

Have the class read every line on this page very carefully. The words are rich inmeaning and suddenly become very exciting. Continue to remind the class to focus onthe differences between the letters and to concentrate on their sounds. Once they masterthese differences, they will not make mistakes.

You have now completed teaching the first session. Your students arelearning a lot, quickly. in order for them to retain what you have taught week toweek, emphasize that they must review the week’s lesson every night for at least15 minutes. The difference in the reading skills of those who practice, and thosewho do not, becomes evident the following week.

You may also make your students aware that an audio tape paralleling thetext is available to them for $5 through the National Jewish Outreach Program,should they feel the need for additional assistance.

The review on page 19 should be done at home, and read in class at thebeginning of the second session.

Mate to Mem

FIGURE #6

5

o n

6

session #2This session should include pages19 - 29.

Your students will now take moreof an interest in vocabulary and willexperience a desire to understand whatthey are reading. Indicate that the wordmeanings are written at the bottom ofthe page, and that they must study themon their own. Since this is a five weekcrash course, it is essential that the classtime be primarily devoted to teaching thebasic reading. Although you do notwant to get involved with questionsconcerning grammar or vocabulary, youDO want to answer any questions whichwill give them a better understanding oftheir Jewish identity. Remember that thegoal of this course is not only to teachbasic reading, but to whet their appetitesfor more knowledge and continuedlearning about their Jewish heritage.

Page 20 AYThe new vowel introduced on

this page is the “AY” sound as in DAY.This long “A” sound is represented intwo forms. It is either two horizontaldots “ .. ” , or two horizontal dots followedby the hook symbol, or Yud.

Page 21 LAMEDThis new letter can be easily

remembered if you guide your studentsto look at the top LEFT side of the letterwhich looks like the letter “L”. This clueshould help students remember thesound which this letter makes (SeeFIGURE #7 below).

Page 22 GIMMELThe letter introduced on this page

must be observed very carefully by yourstudents. Instruct them to focus on theBOTTOM RIGHT SIDE of the letter. TheGimmel is most often confused with theNun. Therefore, from the very onset,highlight and emphasize the GAP whichexists at the bottom of this letter. Tellyour students that if they are unsure ofthe sound, they should always lookfor that GAP as a clue (See FIGURE#8 below).

Introduce the Gimmel’s “look-alike”partner. Mention that the Nun is differentbecause its lines are mostly straight andrather “NICE and NEAT.” No gaps.

FIGURE #7 FIGURE #8

Looks Like theLetter “L”

Lamed

Nice and Neat

Gap

Nun

Gimmel

Longest Letter

k bd

Page 23 OOThis vowel, the “OO” sound as in

MOO, is represented in two ways. It iseither portrayed as three diagonal dots,... , or as a stick shape (Vav) with a dot inthe middle .u . Have the class pretendthat the stick shape is actually a personwho has been hit in the middle with aball — the resulting sound would be“OO” . In order to avoid confusion withthe “OH” sound, have your studentskeep in mind the stick figure with the ballover head. That’s easy to remember,because the ball went OVER the person’shead. Please feel free to use your ownclues and devices; as long as they work,use them! (See FIGURE #9 below).

Page 24 SHORT VOWELSI do not encourage you to note the

differences in pronunciation between theshort vowels, chataf, and the regular vowels.

You would therefore tell your class that these short vowels are identical in soundto the regular vowels. Advise them to ignore the two vertical dots. However, ata later date, if time permits, you may wish to point out that in the case of the Chataf Kamatz ( T : ) in both Ashkenazic and Sephardic pronunciations, e.g. vhbt, thesound is “Aw”.

T . T:

G-D’S NAMEExplain to the class that G-d’s

name takes on different forms and iswritten in many ways. Since we try notto use G-d’s name in vain, we use thewords Kayl, or Elokim instead. Once younote these modifications, allow your classto “do their own thing.” This is all newto them and many students either don’tremember to make the change or find itdifficult and confusing. It usually takesmuch practice for your students to makethis transition comfortably, so be patient.

“OO” hit in the middle

Over head

FIGURE #9

7

u u

8

Sav to Tav

Looks like a Toe

Sin to Shin

It’s no SIN to be a Lefty She’s always Right

Page 25 TAVThis letter has the sound of the letter

“T” as in TIME. It can be rememberedperhaps by visualizing it as a big TOE.Make sure to point out that the Taf has adot in the middle. In the Ashkenazicpronunciation, the dot is importantbecause it changes the sound of the letter.(See FIGURE #10 above).

Page 26 SAVIf you are teaching Sephardic pro-

nunciation, this letter will have the samesound as the previous letter, Tav.Explain that even though there is no dotin the letter, the sound is still “T” . If,however, you are teaching Ashkenazicpronunciation, the sound of this letterwithout the dot will be “S” as in SUN.

Page 27 SHINThis letter is pronounced “SH”

as in SHIP. With some imagination, youcan see that this letter is similar to aship. Point out the dot on the right sideof this letter and explain that the position

of the dot will give it either the “SH” or“S” sound. At the risk of soundingoverly feminist, I suggest the followingsentence as one way to remember thissound: “SHE is always RIGHT”.

The word Moshe, va.n, on Line 9,

might cause some confusion for studentsbecause there is only one dot serving asboth the “OH” sound for the Mem andas the “Sh” sound for the Shin. Indicatethat this is very common and that studentsmust learn to recognize these “shortcuts”.

Page 29 SINAs was mentioned earlier, this

letter is identical to the Shin except forthe location of the dot. When the dot ison the left side of the letter it has the “S”sound as in SIN. I tell my students toremember this by saying, “I LEFT mySINS behind me”, or, I relate that havinggrown up as the only lefty in my family, Iwas often teased. My response to theteasing was “It’s no SIN to be a LEFTY”(See FIGURE #11 below).

FIGURE #10

FIGURE #11

a a

, ,

This session includes lessons24 - 31.

This session is probably themost challenging of all. If you seethat your students are not graspingthe material as quickly as you wouldlike, slow down and divide this sessioninto two. Although this program isadvertised as a five week crashcourse, depending on the groupinvolved it might require two or perhapseven three additional sessions. Donot rush your students if they do notunderstand what is being taught, or ifthey feel they need further review tolearn how to differentiate betweenthe letters.

Page 30 YUDIf you haven’t already, you may

now explain to your students that the“little hook” they came across previouslyis really one of the letters of the alphabet,and has the same sound as the “Y”in “YES”.

Page 31 VAVThis letter has a “V” sound as in

“VASE”. It may cause some confusionbecause as mentioned earlier, this “stickfigure” can serve as part of a vowel, withthe dot either on top of it giving it an “OH”sound, or in the middle, giving it an “OO”sound. Help your students determine

whether the Vav is a letter or a vowelimmediately by pointing out that if the“stick figure” has other vowels connect-ed to it (i.e. : , -), then it is a letter with a“V” sound, and not part of a vowel.

Lines 5 - 8Look at the word v...u

/v. Indicate thatthis is a word which they will encounterfrequently in their readings, and explainhow it fits into the above mentioned rule.The vowel “ ... ” which is under the Vav,immediately shows the student that thisword must have a “VEH” sound.Therefore, the dot above the Vav belongsto the v.

Have the students read this entirepage.

Page 32 NUNThis letter has the sound of “N”

as in “NOON”. Remind your studentsthat they already encountered the Nunwhen learning the Gimmel (See FIGURE#8, page 9).

Emphasize once again, that asopposed to the Gimmel, this letter is“NICE and NEAT”, a straight line withno gaps.

There is also a Final Nun, whichcomes only at the end of a word. It hasthe same sound as the Nun (SeeFIGURE #12 below).

session #3

Nice N’ Neat Gap

NunFinal Nun Gimmel

FIGURE #12

9

i b d

10

Page 33

THE USE OF G-D’S NAMEAND ITS DIFFERENT

FORMSTell your class that Jews avoid

using the name of G-d in vain. Insteadwe use the term “Hashem,” whichmeans “The Name.”

At the top of page 33, under thewords “The Lord,” your class will seefour commonly written forms of G-d’sname. You may want to teach thestudents to use the word “Hashem”whenever they encounter any of thesesacred names. As mentioned previously,though, should they inadvertently useG-d’s name, do not belabor the point. Intime, and with more practice, studentswill learn to use the correct terms.

Line 2In addition, remind your students

that ohekt is another form of expressingG-d’s name, and once again, in order toavoid pronouncing G-d’s name in vain,we exchange the Hay for a Kuf. Again,don’t be overly pedantic about thischange. There is enough for them toremember and you don’t want to placeany additional unnecessary pressureson your class. Remember, for educationalpurposes one is permitted to pronounceG-d’s name. Therefore, allow your studentsto be comfortable while reading thispage. Do not overly dwell on correctingthem at this time.

Line 9Please note the second Hebrew

word on this line, uhkt.T .. Explain that when

the combination uhT

appears at the end ofa word, the Kamatz takes the sound ofits consonant, as usual, and is followedby a “V” sound, while the Yud alwaysremains silent. It is there for grammaticalpurposes, and is not pronounced.Please note the absence of any vowelunder the Yud. While this silent Yud willnot appear much on the next few pages,it will appear frequently starting with page41, so students should keep this con-cept in mind.

Page 35 SAMECHThis letter has the same sound as

the “S” in “SUN.” It also has the samesound as the letter previously learned onpage 29, the Sin; remember, “I LEFT mySINS behind me.”

Inform the class that an easy wayto remember this letter is by thinking ofa CIRCLE, since the letter is almostcompletely round. This letter is oftenconfused with the Final Mem. Utilize theflashcards. Look at the two letterstogether and point out that in addition tothe Samech being more circular, it isslightly SLICED on the bottom right side(See FIGURE #13 below).

Continue to review all the previoussounds and letters that were learnedthus far. Occasionally stop the classand ask if there are questions on thematerial studied thus far.

More SquareSlic

ed o

n th

e Sid

e

FIGURE #13

some-what

circularo x

Page 36 ZAYINThis letter has the sound “Z” as in “ZEBRA.” It appears to be very similar to the

Vav which was learned earlier. Point out that the Zayin has a ZIG-ZAG to it, while theVav is a straight stick figure (See FIGURE #14 below).

The readings are now getting progressively more difficult. Divide the class intoseveral groups, asking each group to take turns reading all the lines on pages 36 and37. Remind each group to follow the reading very carefully. While one group reads, theother groups should follow along by reading quietly to themselves. Once again, remindyour students that practicing at home for at least 15 minutes each day is essential andwill help them read more fluently.

Advise students who may have no friends or acquaintances to listen to themread, that there is a practice tape available from NJOP which offers a page by pagereading of the text.

MEZUZAHNow that your class can read the word Mezuzah, explain what a Mezuzah is and

elaborate on its significance. You might also bring a Mezuzah (including parchment) toshow the class.

VeryStraight

ZigZag

FIGURE #14

Are you having fun?Remember, if youhave fun, so willyour students!

11

z u

12

This session includes lessons 32 - 41.

Are you ready for an evengreater challenge? I have foundthrough my own teaching experiencethat it is best to start this session bytelling your students that you will givethem a brief overview of the nextthree lessons which will include theletters Kaf and Chaf.

KAF/CHAFShow the class each of these

letters. If possible, draw them on aboard or tape flash cards to the wall foryour students to see. Compare theseletters to the Bet and Vet.

It would be a good idea to draw orhang the Bet and Vet on the wall as well,so that your students can easily comparethe letters. Ask your class if they seesimilarities. After some discussion, tellyour students to focus on the sides ofthese letters, ( c/c. f/f. ), to avoid confu-sion. The Kaf is CURVED and the Bethas an extended Base (See FIGURE#15 below).

Now that your students (hopefully)won’t confuse the Kaf and Bet, let’smove on and distinguish between the

Kaf and Chaf. Similar to the Bet andVet, the Dagesh in the center will changethe sound of the letter and is thereforeimportant (See FIGURE #15 below).

Page 38 KAFThis letter has the sound of the

letter “K” . With some imagination,could that Dagesh perhaps be a “keyhole”in a CURVED door? (See FIGURE #16 onthe next page).

Continue reading the entire page.You will notice that there are many Betwords on this page, so make sure thatyour students focus on the differences.The Vet will now appear on Page 39;again, reinforce the importance of“focusing” on the differences. Tell studentsto keep the alphabet charts in front ofthem throughout this session so thatthey can easily see the differences ofthese letters.

Page 39Divide your class into two groups

and read this entire page. After readinglines 8 and 9 carefully, sing them togetherwith the class. This should serve as abrief introduction to ubhektf iht becausethey will soon learn the entire Tefilah

session #4

Curved

Look-alikes

BaseExtended

FIGURE #15

c fc f

Page 40 CHAF

This letter has the same sound asthe “CH” in BaCH, CHallah orCHanukah. As a matter of fact, perhapsyour class could remember the soundof this letter by associating it with the“CH” in the word BaCH or CHallah,for the capital C is a reversed Chaf (SeeFIGURE #16 below).

Another way of remembering theKaf and the Chaf might involve someplay-acting on your part. Ask your class

to pretend it is the last game of theWorld Series and the score is tied. Thebatter hits the ball and it comes straightto you - CURVE your hand and getready to CATCH the ball. The ball (ordagesh) in the CURVED hand might beanother way of remembering this “K”sound. You think you’ve won the game,don’t you? Unfortunately, you drop theball and yell out “UCH, I dropped theball.” The Chaf without the “dot” istherefore the same as the “CH” in“UCH.” Remember, any technique isacceptable. If it works - go for it!

Curved

Capital “C” Chaf

Keyhole

FIGURE #16

13

f ffff

14

CH as in BaCH K as in Key

Sound-alikes

Page 41 FINAL KAF/CHAFThe Final Kaf and Chaf are found

only at the end of a word. Distinguishingbetween them can be very confusing ifnot taught properly. Tell your class thatthe “concept” of these two letters is thesame as that of the plain Chaf and Kaf;depending on the dots, it may be “CH”or “K” (See FIGURE #19 below).

FINAL CHAFTell your class that they can

determine the sound of the Final Chafby looking at the center of the letter. Inall cases, it will either be a Shva - thetwo vertical dots, or a Kamatz - the little“T”, making the sound either a “CH” or“CHA” . Show your class an example ofthis on flashcards, and do not continueto the Final Kaf until you are certain thatthey understand the Final Chaf (SeeFIGURE #20 below).

FINAL KAFTell your class that determining

the sound of the Final Kaf is simplebecause the dot in the middle informsyou that the sound is “K” as in “KEY”and there will always be a second vowelat the bottom of the letter (see lines 3,12 and 13). The vowel at the bottom will

always be a Kamatz giving it a “KA”sound. Once again, reinforce this withflashcards. Have your students readpages 41 and 42 (See FIGURE #18 onthe next page).

You may want to point out to thestudents that they will rarely comeacross the Kaf Sofit, or “KA” ending.Therefore, upon seeing this symbol, theirnatural assumption can be that it iseither the “CH” or “CHA” ending.

Page 41 Line 2Note the silent Yud in the third

word, lhbck. Point out that in the end-ing, the Yud appears for grammaticalreasons and is not pronounced, similarto the ending learned in session #3.Highlight the appearance of this ending inthe word lhekt, which appears severaltimes on page 42.

Page 43EIN KAY’LOKEINU

Briefly explain this tefilah, andhave your students read it carefully.Once they have mastered the words,teach them to sing the entire page. Thisis a very exciting moment, as they arefinally reading and singing an entireprayer. This will give them a genuinesense of accomplishment.

FIGURE #17

uh

lh...

l lf f

lKaf Sofit

Kuf Chet

orTT

Chaf Sofit

Page 44 CHETExplain that this new letter has the

same sound as the Chaf, which was justlearned. Remind your students not toconfuse this letter with the Hay (SeeFIGURE #5, page 5).

As mentioned previously, it is notnecessary for students to differentiatebetween regular and short vowels. Asfar as they know the Shva is silent;therefore, the words on page 44 are readas if the Shva were not present.

Page 46 KUFThis new letter has the same “K”

sound as the Kaf. Perhaps one way to

remember this sound is by visualizingmost of the letter “K” within the Kuf; it isonly missing one leg (See FIGURE #18below).

Have the class read pages 46and 47. Be sure to mention that thisprayer comes from the Shmoneh Esrai.If you feel that these readings are tootime consuming, choose selected linesand have the class read them.Encourage your students to read athome whatever is not covered in class.Instruct them to mark the words whichare difficult, and to never be embarrassedto ask for a review of any sounds orwords that are unclear. Try to begin eachsession by asking if anyone had difficultywith the review or practice readings.

CH as in Chupah

The Letter “K”

Sound-a

likes

Sound-a

likes

FIGURE #18

15

le jf f

16

Page 48 TETTell your students the sound of this letter and remind them that they encountered

it earlier, when learning the Mem (See FIGURE #3, page 4).

Once again, have the class concentrate on the difference between the Tet and the Mem, by pointing out the TEAR on the top of the Tet. This is a good opportunity for a brief review. Explain to the class that there are many letters in the Hebrew alphabet which do not look alike, but sound alike, (e.g. y ,. ). Ask your class to give you examples of others. Again, you may use flashcards to reinforce those letters whichhave the same sound.

Tear on Top

Tet

The Level II Hebrew Reading CrashCourse is a great way to invite your

Hebrew Reading Crash Coursestudents back for more -- ‘while the

iron is still hot,’ so to speak. In Level IIHRCC, they enhance their Hebrewreading skills by practicing to read

traditional Jewish texts. The Level IIcomes in four modules: the siddur, the

Shabbat siddur, the High HolidayMachzor and the Haggadah. So,

students not only learn to read, theyobtain a better understanding of their

heritage. And it’s easy to teach!

y

This session includes lessons 43 - 58.

You can now take a deepbreath! You have already completedfour sessions, and have masteredthose chapters which are mostchallenging and confusing. Thereare only a few more letters for yourstudents to learn. The rest of the textis primarily a review of everything youhave taught. You also have aninvaluable opportunity to bring yourclass closer to Judaism through theblessings and prayers in this finalsession.

Page 49 PAY The new letter on this page has

the “P” sound as in the words “PEA ina POD.” Your students can rememberthis letter by either thinking of a “PRO-FILE” or perhaps the dot can be symbolicof an actual “PEA” since it is similar in

size and shape. If neither of those work,how about a POINT in the “P” ? (SeeFIGURE #19 below.)

Have your class read this entirepage.

Page 50 FAY / FINAL FAY The new letter on this page has

the “F” sound as in the word “FACE.” Itlooks identical to the Pay just learned onpage 49. However, there is NO dot inthe center. Tell your class this “PRO-FILE” is now missing the dot and hasturned into a “FEATURELESS FACE.”There is no eye (dot) or any other“FEATURE” within it.

The Final Fay looks similar to theregular Fay, but is used only at the endof a word (See FIGURE #20 below).

Remind your class to, once again,focus on the differences between thethree letters just learned. Practice readingall the lines on page 50.

Profile

Pay

Pea in the Pod

session #5

Profile

PayFayFinal Fay

Featureless Face

FIGURE #19

FIGURE #20

17

p; p p

18

Page 51 LECHA DODIIntroduce this prayer and briefly

explain when it is recited and what itmeans. If at all possible, after you haveread it together, try to have your classsing it along with you.

This is where it REALLY gets exciting!

Page 52BOKER BA and MODEH ANI

Once again, have your class readthis page. Briefly explain the purpose ofthis prayer and when it is recited. Mostof the words on the page are easy toread and understand. If possible, singthe Modeh Ani with your class.

Page 53TSADEE / FINAL TSADEE

These are the last letters that youwill have to teach your class.

Tell your students to carefully lookat this letter and notice that “IT’S twistedlike a PreTZel.” The Final Tsadee

comes only at the end of a word (SeeFIGURE #21 below).

Now that IT’S all over - hopefullyyour class will agree that “IT’S easy tolearn how to read Hebrew.”

Pages 54-56BIRKAT HAMAZONBriefly explain when and why we

recite this blessing. If time permits,teach the class the traditional chantingof the first paragraph of the BirkatHamazon.

Since it may not be possible tofinish all the readings in this last session,you may decide to schedule an additionalsession. If that is not possible, thenchoose those prayers that you feel willbe most meaningful. Ask your studentsto be certain to read at home whateveris not covered in class. Should they haveany questions, let them know they canalways call you, or feel free to call1-800-44-HEBREW and ask forFlorence Wiener.

IT’S twisted like a preTZel

TsadeeFinal Tsadee

FIGURE #21

. m

Pages 57-58 SHEMAThe gna is a difficult Tefilah for a beginner to read, so try not to omit this prayer. It

is an exciting Tefilah to learn because of its richness in meaning. An entire sessioncould be spent on just this prayer alone!

Page 59 CHETThe combination of the letter chet with a a stick vowel underneath it j_ , is an

exception to the rule. Ordinarily, the letter sound comes first and then the vowel soundfollows. However, here the vowel sound precedes the letter. The sound is therefore“ACH” as in NOACH (See FIGURE #22 below.)

At this point, choose selected readings from page 59 and 60.

Page 61 BIRCHOT HANEHENINBriefly explain the concept of making ,ufrc before eating foods, and read selected

blessings on page 61. Perhaps you might even bring in some food items to hand outto your class and make the blessings together, e.g. cookies, grapes etc.

Page 62-66If you find you do not have the time to cover these pages in class, the exercises in

similar letters can be done at home by students.

However, you should conclude your last session with the reading and/or singingof Hatikva on page 66.

ACH as in NOACH

FIGURE #22

CHET

Congratulations!You have completed teaching the National Jewish Outreach Program's

Hebrew Reading Crash Course!

We hope that you have enjoyed this experience and that you plan to continueinspiring Jewish adults in your community to increase their level of Jewish literacyand identity.

We also hope that you will take this opportunity to offer a Level ll HebrewReading Crash Course to your students, and other novice Hebrew readers. NJOPoffers all the materials you need to get your students reading Shabbat, HighHoliday and weekday prayers, as well as the Passover Haggadah!

Thank you again for helping the National Jewish Outreach Program reachhundreds of thousands of North American Jews and engage them in Jewish life.

19

j

Tear on Top Mound or Mountain Void or Vacuum Open Box Looks like y Looks like X

y n c c g tSounds like T Sounds like M Sounds like V Sounds like B Silent letters

Nice ‘N Neat Gap CHupah Half a line or Hole Rounded Dents in

b d j v r sSounds like N Sounds like G Sounds like CH Sounds like H Sounds like R Sounds like D

Longest Letter

Final letter It’s no SIN to be a lefty SHe’s always right Look like big Toes

i a a , , kSounds like S Sounds like SH Sounds like T Sounds like T Sounds like L

Ashkenazi - sounds like SSpot has Slipped away

Sounds like N

Serve as both letters and vowel helpers Zig Zag Very straight Final letter Slice on Side

u h z u o xSounds like V Sounds like Y Sounds like Z Sounds like V Sounds like M Sounds like S

Looks like K Final letter Final letter Base extended UCH!!! Dropped it! Catch the ball

e l l c f fSounds like B Sounds like CH Sounds like K

Sounds like K Sounds like K Sounds like CH

Final letter It’s twisted like a preTZel Looks like the letter y Final letter Featureless Face Profile

. m g ; p pSounds like TZ Silent Sounds like F Sounds like P

Sounds like TZ Sounds like F

x x ux x Ix ¤ x ¦ x § x x xA as in snake OO as in spoon O as in over E as in tell E as in pea Silent O as in hot O as in hot

Ashkenazi - A as in saw

NATIONAL JEWISH OUTREACH PROGRAMAleph-Bet Chart ©

Ballinside

Lookslike L

Circle

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800-44-HEBRE(W)

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© This chart may not be reproduced without the express permission of NJOP.

Dedicated in loving m

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auman, Yitzchak ben Yaakov Sim

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TThhee NNaattiioonnaall JJeewwiisshh OOuuttrreeaacchh PPrrooggrraamm PPrreesseennttss IInnnnoovvaattiivvee NNaattiioonnaall PPrrooggrraammssDDeessiiggnneedd ttoo MMaakkee JJuuddaaiissmm CCoommee AAlliivvee ffoorr EEvveerryy JJeeww::

Designed specifically for the novice worshipper, these explanatory prayer services are conducted in both Hebrewand English, and provide a comfortable, non-judgmental opportunity for those with little synagogue experienceto participate in traditional synagogue Shabbat and High Holy Day services. Discussions and questions areencouraged in this “unorthodox,” traditional service. NJOP’s Days of Awe program offers abridged services withan in-depth look at a selection of the High Holiday prayers, including the sounding of the shofar.

This free, high-energy, five week lecture series provides a basic introduction to Jewish philosophy and observance.The following topics are covered: Belief in God, Prayer, The Sabbath, Jewish Observance and Sexuality. The courseaccents the upbeat and positive aspects of Jewish life, and encourages participants to seek further Jewish education.

Designed for Jews with little or no background in Hebrew, the free Hebrew Reading Crash Course concentrates onteaching the Hebrew alphabet and reading skills. In only five 1-1/2 hour weekly sessions, participants learn toread Hebrew, and receive a free copy of NJOP’s Reishith Binah Hebrew primer. (Special Russian, Hungarian andSpanish editions of the Reishith Binah primer have also been published.)

Level II Hebrew/One Day Review/Hebrew Writing Crash CourseA follow-up course to the Hebrew Reading Crash Course, the Level II Crash Course is offered to HRCC participants who wish to advance their Hebrew reading and comprehension skills. The four modules include: Machzor,Hagaddah, Daily Prayers and Shabbat Prayers. The One Day Review is designed to help HRCC grads brush up on their skills before the holidays, or before going on to Level II. The Hebrew Writing Crash Course reviews thelessons learned in HRCC by teaching students how to form the traditional block Hebrew letters.

READ HEBREW AMERICA/CANADA--Hebrew Reading Crash Course

The Crash Course in Basic Judaism

The Beginners ServiceHigh Holiday Beginners Service--Days of Awe

SHABBAT ACROSS AMERICA/CANADA--Turn Friday Night Into ShabbatThese semi-annual nationwide Shabbat celebrations have been adopted by hundreds of synagogues throughoutNorth America and overseas. The program consists of a brief Friday evening explanatory service, followed by atraditional Shabbat meal, complete with singing, dancing and explanations. Those who are unfamiliar with thestructure of the Friday night Shabbat ritual find SAA/C and TFNIS both informative and enjoyable. Hundreds ofthousands of people have celebrated the Shabbat through SAA/C and TFNIS, many for the first time.

Holiday WorkshopsDesigned to help synagogues provide exciting and inspiring programming year round, NJOP’s Holiday Workshopsoffer innovative ways for participants to gain new insights into the Jewish holidays. With new workshops constantlybeing created, NJOP already offers a complete guide to creating a Model Seder, a separate Passover Workshop, aSukkot Workshop, a Chanukah Workshop specially designed for parents with children in Hebrew School and amanual for leading a Tu B’shevat Seder.

DAYS OF AWE

YOURS

IItt’’ss BBrriieeff..

IItt’’ss DDyynnaammiicc..

IItt’’ss aa HHiigghh HHoolliiddaayy SSeerrvviiccee tthhaatt wwiillll

eennaabbllee yyoouu ttoo aapppprreecciiaattee aallll tthhee mmaajjeessttyy

aanndd bbeenneeffiittss ooff

TTHHEE DDAAYYSS OOFF AAWWEE..

Climb aboard for an exciting journey through 4,000 years of Jewish History. Discover the great ideas and eventsthat shaped the Jewish nation. Each week a different period of Jewish History is explored. Topics include: 1)Biblical Times, 2) From a United Kingdom to Exile, 3) The Jewish Experience Moves West, 4) Jews Enter and Reactto the Modern Era: From Enlightenment to World War I and 5) The Holocaust and Renewal: 1933 to the Present.

The Crash Course in Jewish History

Parents Are Teachers

PASSOVER ACROSS AMERICA--SUKKOT ACROSS AMERICAPASSOVER ACROSS AMERICA offers participating locations a choice of programs: a Passover Workshop, a Model Sederfor adults and a communal Passover seder program. Additionally, all PAA seder participants are given a gift of theNJOP Beginners’ Passover Haggadah, which offers translation, transliteration, explanations and provocative pointsto ponder. SUKKOT ACROSS AMERICA offers participating locations a professionally designed advertising campaign andan interactive Sukkot Workshop Program designed to enlighten participants to the reasons behind, and thesignificance of, the Sukkah, as well as the Lulav and Etrog.

For more information about any of these programs,call 800-44-HEBRE(W), or e-mail us at: info@njop.org.Don’t forget to visit our website: www.njop.org.989 Sixth Avenue, 10th Floor, New York, NY 10018

The Parents Are Teachers (P.A.T.) initiative enables principals and rabbis at Hebrew and religious schools and community day schools to offer NJOP's programs to the parents of students in their schools and is designed to provide parents with the skills necessary to truly become their children's teachers. Together with the Crash Coursesin Hebrew Reading, Jewish History and Basic Judaism, special pre-holiday programs will engage parents and children in parent/child bonding experiences designed to strengthen their Jewish commitment. A T

Parents Are TeachersP