Hebrew Learners

A unique “Small Group” was formed several years ago by Bet Shalom members Jodi Upin, Linda Berman and Gayle Kaplan. They study Hebrew together to meet their similar goals while nurturing their friendships. Check out their story.

Why do you want to learn Hebrew? What are your goals?

LINDA: My most pressing reason to learn Hebrew is because our son and his family live in Israel. I want to be able to communicate with and understand our grandchildren, who at this point are primarily Hebrew speakers. My Hebrew skills are useful in our travels within Israel. I also enjoy having a much greater understanding of the prayers and even the songs we grew up singing!

 JODI: Hebrew is the language of Judaism because the Torah and many of the prayers and liturgy are written in it. I want to be closer to the original language of the text. I travel to Israel frequently and I am involved in many Israeli projects, so I want to understand my colleagues better when they are speaking Hebrew. It helps on so many levels to know the local language. I will never be fluent, but I want to keep learning and trying to be more conversant. Besides, it’s important to keep learning and challenging my brain!

GAYLE: My goal in studying modern Hebrew is to be able to have a conversation with an Israeli. I study Biblical Hebrew is to gain a deeper understanding of the words in the Tanach. As Rabbi Cohen used to say, "Every translation is an interpretation," and I prefer not to depend entirely on translations. I love Hebrew, its root system and how words connect, sometimes in weird ways. 

Describe your learning journey, how long you’ve been studying Hebrew and with what methods.

JODI: I never studied a language in school, so this has been a real uphill battle. I have used online programs like Duolingo and Drops and have studied in small groups for several years.

GAYLE: I learned to read and write Hebrew when I was around 10. There was a Reform supplementary school for high school students in Boston, so I kept learning Hebrew through high school. I took a break during college – so much else to learn. I lived in Israel for a year after college and could hold basic conversations. After that came a long break – 40 years – while I concentrated on work and family. Going to services maintained my ability to read. I taught an adult beginner’s Hebrew class at Bet Shalom for several years, and now I’ve taught Hebrew at the Religious School for 15 years.

For several years I've taken a weekly class with Dr. Levy, a great teacher.  Before COVID we met at the JCC, but now we meet over Zoom. Because of his class I can read Hebrew without vowels. I've used Duolingo off and on for the past few years. Jodi introduced me to Drops which I've been doing for several months.

LINDA: A long time ago I took Rabbi Cohen's class, "While Standing on One Foot." It was a start. I also took prayer book Hebrew classes with Sarah Lipsett-Allison as well as Nick Shaser. The focus of our current small group is on conversational Hebrew, which suits my current goals.

How did your trio start getting together to study Hebrew?

LINDA: It's hard to remember the exact start of the group but I do remember Jodi's encouragement when she stated that, "We can learn how to order coffee in an Israeli restaurant!" I'm proud to say that now I can order other things, too! We were so happy that Gayle was willing to meet with us and share her knowledge.

GAYLE: Jodi and Linda asked if I would help them practice modern Hebrew.  I warned them that I wasn't fluent, but we decided to give it a try.

JODI: We started meeting after Thursday Torah Study at Bet Shalom.

GAYLE: Then Jodi generously offered her house which is equidistant from Linda and me for our weekly meetings.  During COVID, we kept going with Zoom and met twice a week.  In the past year, we've cut back to once a week due to other commitments and travel.

What do you do in your study sessions? 

GAYLE: We've tried various methods over the years. The one we've stuck with is reading the bi-weekly Hebrew newspaper, "Bereshit." While reading the Hebrew articles, we also learn what's going on in Israel. I learned that Israel often experiences minor earthquakes, for example.

JODI:  We use very simple readings from Bereshit (the Hebrew word for Genesis, meaning “In the beginning.”) It can be ordered online.

LINDA: Its Hebrew but more! We check in with one another about our lives and our families. We always wind up discussing the latest events in Israel. Then we move on to read and translate a lengthy dialogue in Bereshit. Under Gayle's patient tutelage we have learned a great deal. 

How have your relationships developed and changed while you’ve been studying together?

JODI: That is the best part of our work together. We not only study and support each other in this difficult effort, but we have become friends. We'll occasionally spend more time catching up on each other and our lives than on the reading of the day. We'll share in English and try to share in Hebrew. It is a bit of a "combo platter," but it works. During the pandemic, it was an anchor to be able to look forward to this normal event each week. More recently we go to lunch or coffee together. And we occasionally find ourselves in Israel together for a meeting or by coincidence.

GAYLE: We've become friends.  We share what's going on in our lives and discuss Israeli and American politics.  We care deeply about Israel; that's one of the things that binds us.  It's due to Jodi that I became involved with Partnership2Gether. I coordinate the Minneapolis-Rehovot book club and am working with Rabbi Avrin to develop a twin school relationship with Navon, an elementary school in Rehovot.

LINDA: Our relationships have deepened since we started. We have gotten to know each other better and have provided and benefited from mutual support and caring. During the isolation of COVID, we actually studied twice a week. Our Hebrew improved and it was beneficial to us, given the isolation of that time.