Hebrew Jumpstart with Rabbi Heather Miller
Geared towards those curious about learning Hebrew and designed to help adults learn to read, this 4-session class will provide helpful tools and tricks for jumpstarting Hebrew literacy, and can be helpful especially as a first step for Adult B’Nai Mitzvah preparation.”People come to Rabbi Lisa and me frequently looking to delve deeper into our tradition,” explains Rabbi Heather. “Since, at BCC, we are passionate about empowering Jewish expressions, we thought t would be a great class to host. Learning the fundamentals of the language beginning with reading Hebrew, known as ‘The Holy Tongue,’ is a great place to start.”
Who is this class for?
This class is great for people studying for conversion, adults who are looking to become b’nai mitzvah next year, and anyone who wants to follow along in the prayer book this coming High Holy Day season. All are welcome.
How can you relate to those who haven’t yet learned how to read Hebrew?
I was admitted to a Jewish day school for high school having not had much formal Jewish education prior. Learning the fundamentals of Hebrew, beginning with the Aleph Bet was the entryway to my learning. Since then, I have studied Hebrew letters with a soferet (female scribe), one of only 7 in the world. Each letter has a beautiful shape and form and power all their own. The rabbis call the letters on the page black fire on white fire. I am looking forward to sharing the beauty of the Aleph-Bet with my students!
Hebrew Jumpstart with Rabbi Heather Miller, Thursdays, 8/18, 8/25, 9/1, 9/8, 7:30 to 9pm. This class needs a minimum of 5 participants to run. Tuition: $80 for members, $100 for nonmembers. No BCC member will be turned away for lack of funds. Please RSVP to education@bcc-la.org.
Please note: There is a fee for all of Rabbi Heather’s classes to cover her remuneration as she is a part time Rabbi at BCC, and these classes are over and above her contractual agreements. If you would like to make a donation to the Shuldiner Education Fund at BCC to maintain the excellence of BCC’s educational programming, please make a donation by clicking the Register button below. We thank you for your support!
“And the whole earth was of one language and of one speech.” (Genesis 11:1)
It is interesting that there are many words in English whose roots lie in Hebrew. This is a possible throwback to the time of the Tower of Babel story when everyone spoke Hebrew. Here are just a few examples:
Babble
When a baby speaks indiscernible gibberish, we say that he is babbling. The source of this word is the Biblical Tower of Babel story, as is says in Genesis 11:9, “That is why it was called Babel (בבל)—because there the Lord confused [bavel] the language of the whole world.”
Maven
A maven is someone who understands or is an expert in something. The word stems from the Hebrew mevin (מבין) which means “understanding”.
Find out more words you know on Breaking Israel News
