Hebrew for Chanukah

Written By Chouhab on mardi 30 décembre 2008 | 01:53

By Neal Walters

Its Chanukah Time! Have you figured out what youre going to give during each night of Chanukah? Maybe, youre just going to give a gift on the First and Eighth day of the Holiday, but even then, what are you going to give? WellWhy not Hebrew?

Hebrew..!? Yes, Hebrew! I have spoken to many people, men and women, who have become very rusty in their Hebrew. For some, the last time they read anything in Hebrew was for their Bar/Bat Mitzvah: in some cases, going back 40 or 50 years " Oy! Its time for a refresher course " AndI have the programs for you

HebrewResources.com offers several products, which work well for adults and children. The first program in their series is "At Home with Hebrew". It teaches how to read and recognize all the Hebrew letters and vowels, along some basic vocabulary (both modern and biblical).

Hebrew Kindergarten is not just for kids. Its for anybody who wants to learn more advanced Hebrew grammar; this program assumes you know the basics, but it will make you comfortable reading Hebrew without vowel points and speaking and thinking in the language.

For those more interested in learning traditional liturgy and Hebrew prayers, the ideal gift would be "Songs of the Sabbath" (or in Hebrew "Shirei Ha-Shabbat"). This package includes both an audio-CD with modern tunes to the ancient liturgy, and a software program which teaches many of the more traditional synagogue tunes.

The cantor chosen for "Songs of the Sabbath" is really amazing. You can click buttons on the computer to hear the parts of the prayers, either word-by-word, or line-by-line, or you can hear the entire song at once.

Children are often the focus of Hanukah. Jewish parents usually require their children to learn some basic Hebrew, even if their own skills have become rusty. The tutorials above, can be used by inividuals. But how much better, if parents and children learn Hebrew together?

Believe or not, Jews are not the only people learning Hebrew. Many Christians today have a growing interest in the original language of the Bible, and many are learning the basics of Jewish practices to better understand the Bible. It has been said that "all translations are commentary", meaning that any English translation of the Hebrew scriptures cannot help but have ideas of the translator behind it.

Yes, its the Holiday Season! Its Chanukah Time! Check out any or all of these programs: At Home With Hebrew for beginners, Hebrew Kindergarten for more advanced Hebrew study, and Shirei Ha-Shabbat for anybody who wants to learn the basics of Jewish/Shabbat Liturgy.

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