Mazel Toy
Dr. Elissa Beth Gartenberg
contact, that feeling of connection to
Israel."
Learning Hebrew as a living lan-
guage with "songs and movies is so
much more exciting," Kempenich
says, "and it's something kids can
relate to better than prayers."
Educators generally have looked at
Hebrew as a language for worship,
rather than as a vibrant, foreign lan-
guage, she says.
"They're not tapping into all the
information and all the research out
there about teaching of foreign lan-
guages, and I think that's a shame,"
Kempenich says.
We are proud of you! You are a
"mensch." May you be blessed with
health and happiness for 150
years — May you be guided by G—d to
help your patients heal.
enrolls 27 children, and has 30 more
signed up for next year.
Love,
Mom, Dad,
Lori, Randi & Larry
Overcoming Obstacles
Like all avenues of Jewish education,
the growth of Hebrew-immersion pro-
grams has been somewhat stymied by
staffing difficulties.
Most Jewish early-childhood pro-
grams, which tend to offer relatively
low salaries and no benefits, have dif-
ficulty finding qualified teachers with
Judaic knowledge. Add a requirement
for Hebrew fluency — ideally that of
a native speaker — and the pool of
eligible candidates becomes even
smaller.
"People who have the early-child-
In The Classroom
hood education skills don't necessarily
At the Ben Porat Yosef program,
have the Hebrew skills, and the people
which is Orthodox and began this
who have the Hebrew skills don't nec-
fall, 3-year-olds spend about an hour
essarily have the education back-
each day speaking Hebrew.
ground," Kempenich says.
Administrators hope to gradually
However, Detroit and the educa-
expand the Hebrew time as the chil-
tion
school at JTS are exploring the
dren get older. The school plans to
possibility of working with the Jewish
add a grade each year and become a
Agency for Israel and bringing in
full day school that will be Ivrit
Israeli teachers to help staff the pro-
b'Ivrit, meaning that the Judaic cur-
grams.
riculum will be taught entirely in
So far, most parents seem happy
Hebrew.
with
the immersion programs.
Rather than translating or using
Norma
Dorman, whose 5-year-old
textbooks, as in traditional foreign-
twins, Hershel and Pearl, attend nurs-
language classes, immersion programs
ery school at Adat Shalom, said they
teach Hebrew using only Hebrew.
were exposed to Hebrew much sooner
Teachers use body language and con-
text clues to convey the meaning, and than their older siblings, Hillary and
Tedi, who are now honors students in
most children pick it up quickly.
second and fourth grades, respectively,
Pearl, Ben Porat Yosef's Hebrew
at Hillel Day School. Hillel does not
teacher, uses songs and stories, and
offer its own nursery program.
covers much of the typical preschool
"This program [immersion
curriculum — such as colors, days of
Hebrew] is the most awesome I've
the week and weather — in Hebrew.
experienced or seen," Dorman says.
One morning this spring, she led
"The two little ones are walking
the class in an all-Hebrew discussion
around
the house speaking in Hebrew.
of the day's weather (sunny and
"They're
just like little sponges.
windy), taught them songs about
The
earlier
you
can catch them, the
Purim and the Torah, and talked
better you are."
about colors, passing out multicol-
At New Jersey's Ben Porat Yosef,
ored cutout paper butterflies.
parent Judy Harris Sinai says her 3-
"Whoever sits nicely gets a butter-
fly," Pearl explained in Hebrew, quiet- year-old daughter Aviya already knows
more Hebrew than her older siblings
ing some of the more antsy. children.
at a local Jewish day school.
Later, the children played an Israeli
On a recent family trip to visit rela-
game called "Knock, Knock, Who
tives in Israel, "Everyone was speaking
Am I?" in which one child closed her
to Aviya in Hebrew and she under-
eyes and had to guess which children
stood everything, no confusion,
were tapping her shoulder.
whereas [with] my other kids, I could
Pearl speaks Hebrew with the chil-
see they had some problems," Sinai
dren all day, even at lunchtime and
says.
recess, when the other teachers speak
In her opinion, starting early makes
English.
a big difference.
For a native Israeli who is a little
"That age between 2 and 5, when
homesick, it's an ideal job. The chil-
kids just pick things up so fast —
dren "say everything with an Israeli
that's what the trick is, and this school
accent," she says.
really understands that," Sinai says. ❑
Parents have been responding
enthusiastically. The school currently
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