by Aliza Arzt
And the Word of the Week is . . .
Knowing Hebrew is an essential skill at the Havurah for getting the most out of davenning and it can feel like an insurmountable challenge for some people. “Knowing Hebrew” includes being able to read, having an essential vocabulary and having enough knowledge of the grammar to understand the prayers. The first two, reading and having a prayer vocabulary, are the easiest to learn and can substantially increase the understanding of prayers.
Enter “Word of the Week.” In 2020, we began this task with “Letter of the Week,” when we began our weekly Zoom “Not Just for Kids Service.” Once we finished the 22 letters of the Hebrew alphabet, we began to introduce a new word each week. The “Word of the Week” goes out to Havurah members and associate members every Wednesday evening. If you don’t get these emails, consider becoming an associate member, or, if you already are one, check your email on Thursday mornings! Words are chosen for their usefulness in connecting to davenning and, if possible, to correspond to upcoming holidays. Each word is accompanied by a translation of the word, some information about how it relates to similar words and some “thought questions” about the word. The words are never transliterated; recipients are encouraged to figure out how to read it or to come to the Friday evening Zoom service (6:00 at this time of year) to talk about it. Also included in the email is the word written in large, outlined letters. Recipients are encouraged to color the words. I do it every week. I find that it’s quick, and very restful. We have been through about 5 “Word of the Week” cycles, so there are 4-6 words for each letter of the alphabet. At the 30-minute service, we discuss the word and the questions that I’ve raised in the email, and also sing or learn a familiar prayer containing a form of the word.
Here’s an example of a “Word of the Week” email:
The word for this week begins with the letter “Alef” (א). Here it is: אוֹר, which means "light". In the Torah, God creates light on the first day (chapter 1 verse 3) but doesn't create the sun, moon and stars until the fourth day. How do we have light without the sun, moon and stars? Light is also one of the "big three" themes of the morning service. The other two are "love" (which also starts with an א) and "redemption" (this was our word of the week for ג). The "light" of the morning service is more than daylight. Think about some other ways that "light" is used and you'll be able to figure out how light is described in the service.
I understand how learning a new language, especially one with a different alphabet, can be very difficult. Currently I’m working on learning (some) Arabic and Cantonese. Although I’m already literate in Arabic, I’m not nearly literate in Cantonese, but every day I spend about 15 minutes with my phone app (“Drops”) doing a lesson. Repeated brief exposure to a new language and/or new alphabet helps to reinforce learning. It doesn’t take much time, just willingness to spend these brief periods.
During the past few months, we’ve been doing a “review of Words of the Week” and we’re halfway through the alphabet. I’ve chosen 1-2 words that we’ve already done for each letter, focusing on the most relevant and important words from the davenning. I’ve also been creating flashcards (Hebrew only) for each letter. They can be found here:
https://www.canva.com/design/DAGJ8nqliq0/D7My9JTciWG1KhPpKaD_0g/edit
If you have any interest in improving your Hebrew skills, even moderately, consider the following: desiring to do this is a good start, but if that’s where it ends, there will be no progress. Spending as little as 5 minutes a day looking at and reading essential words results in progress. If you’d like to have a community to do this with, consider joining us at the weekly Friday night “Not Just for Kids Service”.
Knowing Hebrew is an essential skill at the Havurah for getting the most out of davenning and it can feel like an insurmountable challenge for some people. “Knowing Hebrew” includes being able to read, having an essential vocabulary and having enough knowledge of the grammar to understand the prayers. The first two, reading and having a prayer vocabulary, are the easiest to learn and can substantially increase the understanding of prayers.
Enter “Word of the Week.” In 2020, we began this task with “Letter of the Week,” when we began our weekly Zoom “Not Just for Kids Service.” Once we finished the 22 letters of the Hebrew alphabet, we began to introduce a new word each week. The “Word of the Week” goes out to Havurah members and associate members every Wednesday evening. If you don’t get these emails, consider becoming an associate member, or, if you already are one, check your email on Thursday mornings! Words are chosen for their usefulness in connecting to davenning and, if possible, to correspond to upcoming holidays. Each word is accompanied by a translation of the word, some information about how it relates to similar words and some “thought questions” about the word. The words are never transliterated; recipients are encouraged to figure out how to read it or to come to the Friday evening Zoom service (6:00 at this time of year) to talk about it. Also included in the email is the word written in large, outlined letters. Recipients are encouraged to color the words. I do it every week. I find that it’s quick, and very restful. We have been through about 5 “Word of the Week” cycles, so there are 4-6 words for each letter of the alphabet. At the 30-minute service, we discuss the word and the questions that I’ve raised in the email, and also sing or learn a familiar prayer containing a form of the word.
Here’s an example of a “Word of the Week” email:
The word for this week begins with the letter “Alef” (א). Here it is: אוֹר, which means "light". In the Torah, God creates light on the first day (chapter 1 verse 3) but doesn't create the sun, moon and stars until the fourth day. How do we have light without the sun, moon and stars? Light is also one of the "big three" themes of the morning service. The other two are "love" (which also starts with an א) and "redemption" (this was our word of the week for ג). The "light" of the morning service is more than daylight. Think about some other ways that "light" is used and you'll be able to figure out how light is described in the service.
I understand how learning a new language, especially one with a different alphabet, can be very difficult. Currently I’m working on learning (some) Arabic and Cantonese. Although I’m already literate in Arabic, I’m not nearly literate in Cantonese, but every day I spend about 15 minutes with my phone app (“Drops”) doing a lesson. Repeated brief exposure to a new language and/or new alphabet helps to reinforce learning. It doesn’t take much time, just willingness to spend these brief periods.
During the past few months, we’ve been doing a “review of Words of the Week” and we’re halfway through the alphabet. I’ve chosen 1-2 words that we’ve already done for each letter, focusing on the most relevant and important words from the davenning. I’ve also been creating flashcards (Hebrew only) for each letter. They can be found here:
https://www.canva.com/design/DAGJ8nqliq0/D7My9JTciWG1KhPpKaD_0g/edit
If you have any interest in improving your Hebrew skills, even moderately, consider the following: desiring to do this is a good start, but if that’s where it ends, there will be no progress. Spending as little as 5 minutes a day looking at and reading essential words results in progress. If you’d like to have a community to do this with, consider joining us at the weekly Friday night “Not Just for Kids Service”.
Aliza Arzt is a long-time member of the Havurah.
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