Hava Nedaber Ivrit: Teaching Talmidim Mevugarim

By NIRA LEV
Af pa'am loh me'oochar
mee'day lil 'mod — it is never too
late to learn — is a known saying.
The talmidim I have the pleasure of
teaching at the Midrasha Center for
Adult Jewish Learning and at the
Elderhostel of the Fresh Air Society
prove that this saying is true.
Kitot ha'Ivrit at the Midrasha are
full of talmidim mevugarim of a wide
range of gilim and interesim, all
sharing a great ahava for their safa
atika — chadasha, the safa of the
Tanach, the safa of their tarbut —
Hasafa ha'Ivrit.
Limud ha'safa ha'Ivrit is one of
the many drachim of hizdahut with
our moreshet Yehudit. Learning
Hebrew creates a kesher chazak
between the talmid and medinat
Yisrael, between the talmid and his
mishpacha in Yisrael, between the
talmid and the t'feelot in belt —
ha'knesset and between the talmid
and all the Yehudim acherim in
America and be'chol ha'olam who
study our safa as a mode of
hizdahut with our tarbut, our am and
our eretz.
There are sibot shonot why
talmidim mevugarim are interested
in learning Ivrit: some want to add a
deeper mashmaut to their
experience in belt ha'knesset, some
start studying Ivrit when their
yeladim or, sometimes, nechadim,
start attending belt sefer Ivree and

start studying our safa. Bikur
be'Yisrael can be another
me'nee'ah that brings talmidim
me'vugarim back to the classroom.
all share ahava for their tarbut and
their moreshet. For most, it is Torah
l'shma.
Teaching talmidim me'vugarim is
a great ha'na'ah and a special
chavaya for the moreh. These are
the most motivated of all talmidim.
They bring their nees'yon chayim to
the kitah Ivrit and the moreh is
enriched not less than his talmidim.
The process of I'meedah is part of
the matarah. It involves the lomdim
not less than the moreh and there is
a lot of hishtatfut and peer
exchange.
Halomed ha'mevugar contributes
to his kitah his neesyon chayim, his
ma'agar yedah. Discussions and
seechot tamid go on in kitot safa,
and limud ha'Ivrit is never just limud
shel safa. It is limud shel our tarbut,
our historia, our arachim and our
philosophia.
Limud Ivrit is also a neesayon of
sharing and creating a meaningful
kesher to the kehillah, to Yisrael and
to the other t'futzot. It is done
through reading Israeli eetonim,
through discussing events ba'olam
ha'yehudi and through sharing
regashot and ra'ayonot relating to
personal experiences which are
mostly Jewish experiences.
The survival of our safa, many

believe, is the survival of our am.
Talmidim mevugarim studying Ivrit
like their yeladim and/or nechadim,
help ensure our cultural and spiritual
survival.

MEELON (Dictonary)

talmidim
students
kitot
classes
kitot ha'Ivrit
the Hebew classes
mevugarim
adults
gilim
ages
interesim
interests
ahava
love
safa atika
ancient language
safa chadasha
new language
The Tanach
The Bible
tarbut
culture
limud
study
drachim
ways
hizdahut
identification
moreshet
heritage
kesher chazak ...a strong connection,
tie
medinat yisrael
The State of Israel
mischpacha
family
t'feelot
prayers, services in
the synagogue
Yehudim acherim
other Jews
be'chol ha'olam
all over the world
am
nation
eretz
country, land
sibot shonot
different reasons
mashmaut
meaning
beit — ha'knesset
the synagogue

yeladim
children
nechadim
grandchidlren
beit — sefer Ivree
Hebrew school
bikur
a visit
me'nee'ah
a motive
Torah L'shma .study for study's sake,
for no ulterior motive, study for the
love of studying
ha'na'ah
pleasure, enjoyment
chavaya
an experience
moreh
a teacher
nees'yon chayim
life experience
I'meedah
learning
matorah
goal
lomdim
learners
hishtatfut
participation
ma'agar yedah
a reservoir
of knowledge
seechot
conversations
tamid
always
limud shel safa
the study of
a language
arachim
values
neesayon
an experience
kesher
a connection, a tie
kehilla
the Community
t'futzot
the dispersions
eetonim
newspapers
ba'olam ha'yehudi
in the
Jewish world
regashot
feelings
ra'ayonot
ideas

Nira Lev is director of the Agency
for Jewish Education's Hebrew
Interactive Learning Center and
director of the Community Jewish
High School's Hebrew Department.

It' r ig3 W i t‘!j tal liw i241Q UW1 4 0 4ii10140 WIA l!p liel Al t W I lai W i r A691Abli tA2 11A1 i tAill iY

vire•