Jewish Learning Institute to host Hebrew reading crash course at Chabad at the Beaches

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The Jewish Learning Institute will host “Read it in Hebrew” – a new, five-week Hebrew reading crash course – beginning Tuesday, Aug. 7 at 7 p.m. at Chabad at the Beaches in Ponte Vedra Beach.

Conducted by Dafne Blank, the flashcard-based language course promises users that they can learn to read Hebrew in only five sessions.

“Many people feel lost in synagogue, because they don’t know how to read Hebrew,” said Rabbi Levi Kaplan of JLI’s headquarters in Brooklyn, New York. “We have found that learning how to read Hebrew strengthens one’s feeling of connection to Judaism in a powerful way. ‘Read it in Hebrew’ fills a tremendous need.”

Already a hit with communities around the world, “Read it in Hebrew” has been tried successfully in more than 150 Chabad Houses, camps and schools, enabling more than 1,000 students to read Hebrew.

The first two lessons of “Read it in Hebrew” focus on the letters of the Hebrew alphabet, while the last three lessons introduce vowels and teach students how to read words. With flashcards portraying the letters alongside catchy mnemonics that make the information memorable and easy to digest, the course allows students to absorb information quickly and efficiently. Also, in addition to reading skills, “Read it in Hebrew” students will get a glimpse into the holiness and depth of the Hebrew language, including brief kabalistic explanations of the Hebrew letters.

As a native Israeli, Blank ads her own flair to the course by ending each lesson with a fun segment focusing on conversational Hebrew.  

“Finally, a fun and easy-to-use program that teaches Jews how to read in the language of their ancestors,” Rabbi Nochum Kurinsky said. “If you want to participate in synagogue but find it hard to follow what’s going on, this is for you. Language no longer needs to be a barrier between Jewish people and their heritage.”

“Read it in Hebrew” is designed to appeal to people at all levels of Jewish knowledge, including those without any prior experience or background in Jewish learning. The course is open to the public, and attendees need not be affiliated with a particular synagogue, temple or other house of worship.

Chabad at the Beaches is located at 521 A1A N. Interested students may call (904) 770-0502 or visit www.chabadbeaches.com for registration and for other course-related information.