Talking to Parents about #OnwardHebrew

By Barb Shimansky, Director of the School for Living Judaism,
Temple Beth Sholom, Miami Beach, FL

When we decided to adopt the #OnwardHebrew philosophy at Temple Beth Sholom in Miami Beach, Florida for the 2018-2019 school year, we knew this would be a shock to the system. Hebrew had been taught in a “traditional Hebrew School” manner for decades. Classes were held twice a week for grades three through six, and learners spent most of this time sitting at tables and going around the room to read lines from primers and workbooks. There would be occasional deviations for things like holiday vocabulary. Learners were certainly learning to read Hebrew, but they were uninspired and unengaged. The relatively new #OnwardHebrew approach changed both the methodology and the narrative by which Hebrew could be taught, and we eagerly jumped “all in.”

That is not to say that our constituents were necessarily so eager. Although there was expressed desire for our learners to have a more enjoyable experience, parents were generally uneasy about the idea of their children learning Hebrew differently. While I anticipated this, the pushback was pretty intense during the first year or two. The summer before we launched, a parent called me and said, “I have some questions for you about this Hebrew School where you won’t be teaching Hebrew anymore.” Caught somewhat off-guard, I took a moment before responding, “We will still be teaching Hebrew. It will just be done differently from how we have been doing it.”

It turned out that it was not just this one parent who had the impression that we were abandoning Hebrew altogether. This was the rumor going around the community! I realized we needed to communicate differently if our families were going to buy-in to this approach.
I will freely acknowledge that the change in my language around this was not one that occurred overnight. In fact, I continue to think about this and continually refine it. Perhaps the most effective thing I can emphasize it that I talk about what we DO, not what we DON’T do. I offer here some of the main points that I try to emphasize when speaking to parents.
Overall Philosophy

• Mimics natural language acquisition – hearing and speaking Hebrew for several years before needing to read and write it
• Socially constructed – learners have opportunities to use Hebrew comfortably with peers in a non-pressured environment
• Joyful – learners encounter Hebrew in ways that help them develop a positive association with the language of our people

Hebrew Through Movement

• Almost entirely immersive Hebrew environment
• Designed to help learners become comfortable and familiar with the sounds of the language and the meaning of key vocabulary words
• Kinesthetic, so learners are literally getting Hebrew “into their bones”
• Fun, active curriculum that truly brings Hebrew to life!

Hebrew-rich Tefilah

• Learners are exposed to Hebrew within the natural environment of a prayer service
• In environments with a mix of Hebrew and English melodies, learners get a sense of what the prayers mean and start to make connections with Hebrew vocabulary
• Where appropriate, the Hebrew text can be introduced via a handheld prayer book or a projection on the screen, allowing learners to see the written Hebrew, even if they cannot yet read it

Jewish Life Vocabulary

• Hebrew words and phrases that are good to know as part of our Jewish heritage
• Low-stress learning as Hebrew words and phrases are contextually infused into English sentences (i.e., “Yashar ko-ach for leading that so beautifully!”)
• Integrated into curriculum so that Hebrew becomes a natural part of the learning environment

Hebrew Decoding

• Starts after several years of foundational exposure via hearing and speaking/singing Hebrew
• Process of learning to decode is easier because learners have already ingrained the sounds in their heads (and ears)
• Learners are more motivated to engage with decoding when they have the maturity to have a better sense of its purpose
• Established positive association with the Hebrew language makes the experience of learning to read Hebrew one of enjoyment and success!

Beyond these talking points, one more important communication element is our program is our weekly Reflections Newsletter. Our teachers write a brief summary of their classroom activities each week, and we email it in a newsletter format on Sunday afternoons. These summaries include Hebrew Through Movement; we put this right at the top, so every parent can immediately see what their children have learned in Hebrew that week. We include pictures that show our learners active and enjoying themselves during these sessions. This provides some ongoing information to parents about the nature of the Hebrew curriculum and the progress their children are making, both in learning vocabulary and in building Hebrew as an integral part of who they are as Jewish people.
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Framing these conversations with parents in the positive and maintaining ongoing communication with them about what is happening with Hebrew education have been invaluable tools in elevating the success of #OnwardHebrew in our setting. I hope these tips and examples can be helpful to you, regardless of where you are in the #OnwardHebrew journey! 

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