Resources for practicing Hebrew

Hey everyone! Yesterday was our first pre-trip ulpan and it was great. There were lots of great people, interesting questions, practice conversations, pizza, and laughs. We're really looking forward to the next one! Please email Danny if you're interested in details.

The word ulpan means "studio," and is an interesting word-choice for a setting that is dedicated to language learning, namely Hebrew language learning. Generally speaking, in Hebrew, like in English, "studio" refers to the place in which artists or news teams work. But when the first ulpan opened not long after the formation of the State of Israel, the idea was to bring together olim (immigrants) from all over and teach them Hebrew. This was part of the "melting-pot" vision of David Ben-Gurion, a project of national, spiritual, and cosmological significance. He wrote in his essay Israel and the Diaspora:"[The Zionist revolution] was not a revolution involving a change in regime or a seizure of power by the 'forces of tomorrow'--but the personal revolution of every Jewish individual, a revolution in their way of life, vocation, language...in everything comprised in the Hebrew term to which there is no parallel in any other language: Geulah."

As we said, traditionally speaking, ulpanim (plural) are geared towards new immigrants (olim hadashim) in order to help them acquire Hebrew as quickly as possible and therefore integrate into Israeli society. There are ulpanim all over the country--in kibbutzim, towns, universities, the army--and they have served people from all over the world. In recent years a number of new ulpanim have opened across Israel. One of the more eccentric ones is This Is Not An Ulpan, something of an anti-ulpan. Their goal isn't "to learn grammar or spelling; it's to acquire the tools necessary to understand and engage with our surroundings and positively impact Israeli society. Language is a priority, but not the only one." This is done "actively and critically [while engaging] with [the tough local] realities in Hebrew and Arabic."

So as we prepare for our flight in a few weeks, please continue to practice your Hebrew where- and whenever you can and join us for our upcoming sessions. You can take a look through our worksheet from yesterday which includes some key terms in Hebrew, their transliteration, and translation.

You may also want to take a look at some of the apps that are available for mobile devices:
Duolingo - a great language learning app that some of our staff and students have already begun using and practicing with.
Reverso-context - This is a website with an app for both iPhone and Android. Reverso-context is a great dictionary that translates words based on the various contexts in which they are found. Sentences will appear in order to show how the word might be used in different settings. For instance, you might want to learn how to properly use the word "to know" in Hebrew, as there are different words for different contexts. In English, we'd say "I know them" or "She knows the time" but in Hebrew these two sentences require two different words--מכיר in the first context; יודע in the second.
Morfix - a straightforward and accurate English-Hebrew dictionary both online and with apps for iPhone and Android.

Happy studies!

להתראות--See you soon!