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Hebrew In America

Teaching Hebrew to the Youngest Members of our Community in Now!

Hebrew (Ivrit) is the bond between Israel and the Jewish people worldwide; a link to the past while pertinent to the present.   It connects Jews to their Jewish heritage.  At a time when Hebrew is a rich modern language, now is the time to enrich our children’s and our own Jewish identity by adding Hebrew to everyday lives.

HOW DOES IT WORK?

Currently, 9 early childhood programs and 2 supplemental school age programs in Northern NJ have elected to join the Hebrew in America family.  We provide training, curricular aides and a learning community, Hekesher Halvri, to support the enhancement of conversational Hebrew in area schools.  We utilize and work with up-to-the-minute materials, themes and guides including:

Chalav U’dvash: Created by Israeli educators, this method of teaching Ivrit, emphasizes sentence structure using sensory experiences, pictures, music, books and Bentzie, the turtle puppet, to teach Hebrew.  It is designed as a two year program for children 3-6 years old.

Total Phyiscal Response (TPR)
Ivrit Bitnua: Dr. James Asher, developed TPR through extensive brain research.  The program responds to the idea that language is internalized through body movements.  Students learn Ivrit using body movements, games, music and social interactions.  The program is friendly to non-native Hebrew teachers and will move with the children as they ascend through the grades.

Tal Am: Jewish identity is fostered through this program by allowing children to explore their Jewish roots and traditions.  The program nurtures a generation of literate and committed Jewish children.  Aimed at grades 1-5.

Apply this program to your school: Email Drora DroraA@ujannj.org for information on how to apply this program to your school's curriculum.

The Hebrew in America Project, co-sponsored by The Memorial Foundation for Jewish Culture, is now part of the curriculum in thirteen schools with early childhood programs.  Fifty-four early childhood and kindergarten teachers have been trained. 
Seven hundred children between the ages of four and five are learning Hebrew every day.  Four additional congregational schools have signed on for the pilot program this year.

Hebrew In America

Drora Arussy
Hebrew Coordinator
201-820-3919
DroraA@ujannj.org

CAMP NITZAN

Hebrew immersion in an informal setting combined with activities that children (ages 4-7) love.  The nine-day smart start at Camp Nitzan will enrich the Hebrew program your child attends throughout the school year. A day at Camp Nitzan is an integrated Hebrew learning environment using sports, crafts, music, cooking, games and dancing. Enrollment open now!