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Passion For Hebrew

Barbara Lewis | Contributing Writer

O

ne name has become synonymous
with adult Hebrew language edu-
cation in Detroit: Nira Lev.
She has been teaching her beloved native
tongue here since the early 1970s — and
some of her local students have been learn-
ing with her nearly that long.
According to her students, Lev possesses
a unique combination of knowledge and
spirit that makes her the ideal teacher.
Lev is a sabra, born in Tel Aviv. She and
her husband, Amos, married young. After
finishing their studies at Hebrew University
in Jerusalem, Amos served in the army
and Nira taught English at a Tel Aviv high
school and to Israel army officers.
The Levs came to Michigan so Amos, a
physicist, could take a post-doctoral posi-
tion at Wayne State University. Their plans
to return to Israel were delayed by the Yom
Kippur War in 1973 and the lack of jobs for
physicists in Israel. Eventually they gave up
trying to return permanently, though they
visit every year.
They live in Farmington Hills and have
raised two sons here. Ron is a computer
scientist in Ann Arbor and Ori is an attor-
ney in Washington, D.C. The Levs speak
Hebrew with each other.
Nira Lev holds a master’s degree in
English language and literature, a degree
in Arabic language and literature, and a
second master’s in educational research —
and has completed the course work for a
Ph.D. She also studied linguistics, French,
Russian and comparative literature and has
a diploma in teaching foreign languages to
high school students.

DEVOTION TO STUDENTS
Soon after arriving in Detroit, Lev started
teaching Hebrew at the Midrasha College
of Jewish Studies and the Community
Jewish High School, where she was chair
of the Hebrew department. For the last 30
years, she has been teaching adults, mostly
through Jewish Federation adult education
programs.
From 1988 until 1994, Lev wrote a
monthly column for the Jewish News called
Hava Nedaber Ivrit — Let’s Speak Hebrew
— which explained the meaning and usage
of Hebrew words.
Some of the students in Lev’s Advanced
Hebrew Language and Literature classes,
offered through Federation’s FedEd pro-
gram, started out in Lev’s beginner class.

20 April 28 • 2016

Photos by Brandon Schwartz

Nira Lev’s commitment to teaching yields a longtime “family” of learners.

“Nira’s passion
for the Hebrew
language drives
her teaching.”

— Raya Goldenberg

Nira Lev keeps up on Israeli culture and literature.

Sheldon Schwartz, a retired physician
in Bloomfield Hills, took his first class
with Lev when his children enrolled at
Hillel Day School more than 40 years ago.
He could read Hebrew but had no con-
versational skills. Now he attends both of
her weekly Advanced Hebrew Language
and Literature classes, on Sunday and
Wednesday mornings, where the students
read Israeli fiction and newspaper articles.
“Nira has a total commitment to her stu-
dents,” he said. “She prepares every lesson.
Her range of knowledge of everything con-
nected to Israeli culture and the Hebrew

language helps us expand our vocabulary.
The classes just keep getting better and
better.”
Beverly Kent Goldenberg of Huntington
Woods studied Hebrew for a while before
she was married, but then got busy raising
her two sons, now adults. Her husband,
Mickey, is Israeli. She often felt left out
when she couldn’t follow conversations
among family members during visits to
Israel.
She accompanied her sister, Carol Kent,
to one of Lev’s classes and was hooked.
“Nira has a lovely way of catching people,”

Nira Lev teaches her Advanced Hebrew class with students Philip Vainik of Oak Park,
Beverly Kent Goldenberg and Raya Goldenberg, both of Huntington Woods, and Sheldon
Schwartz.

she said with a smile.
Raya Goldenberg (a first cousin of
Beverly’s husband) came to the U.S. from
Israel when she was 9. Her family spoke
Hebrew at home, so she had a good grasp
of conversational Hebrew. She enrolled in
Lev’s advanced class to learn more about
Hebrew literature and culture.
“Nira’s passion for the Hebrew language
drives her teaching, which makes it engag-
ing for her adult students,” said Goldenberg
of Huntington Woods. “Her style promotes
interactive learning. She brings extensive
knowledge about Israeli culture, politics,
the Bible and more.”
Elaine Cassen of Lathrup Village agreed.
“Nira brings insights into topics about
Israeli society from her conversations with
her family and friends in Israel.”
Physician Leonard Lachover of West
Bloomfield has been studying with Lev for
more than 20 years.
“She is a teacher’s teacher,” he said. “She
is able to delve deeply into Hebrew texts
and bring out the most in every article we
read. She motivates us, her students, to
strive to raise our knowledge of Hebrew
and instills in us a love of learning.”
The students have become like a fam-
ily, said Lachover, especially in the Sunday
morning class where they’re all physicians.
“For many of us, this is the highlight of the
week,” he said.
His classmate Louis Shifrin of West
Bloomfield says Lev is “a remarkable indi-
vidual.”
“Her mastery and love of language
instruction and interaction with her stu-
dents has left a lasting impression on all of
us,” he said.
Lev admires and respects her students,
finding them highly motivated, intelligent,
knowledgeable and eager to learn.
“My students’ enthusiasm, their deep
love for the Hebrew language, and their
genuine interest in Hebrew, Judaism and
Israel have continually inspired and moti-
vated me to expand my knowledge,” she
said. “My work has always been more than
a job. It’s an endless source of satisfaction
and joy that has greatly enriched my life.”
Lev travels to Israel every year, not only
to visit family and friends but also to pick
up the latest Hebrew books and learn about
the latest trends in Israeli culture.
She credits the Detroit Jewish communi-
ty for much of her success. “From our very
first day here, the community opened its
arms and truly embraced us,” she said.

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