Day School Teaches Hebrew Language Fluency and Literacy

Today, my three children attend a bilingual Hebrew/English, Jewish day school in a suburb of Atlanta.

When we considered grade school options for our children five years ago, all the buzz was around bilingual immersion education. The day school we chose is a bilingual Hebrew/English school. The documented benefits of teaching our children a second language from an early age, let alone a tier-4 foreign language, were appealing to us. At the time, I didn’t necessarily care whether the language was Hebrew, Mandarin, Swahili…, but as Jews, my children – third generation of Holocaust survivors – are gaining more than a language – they are gaining an enhanced connection to our Homeland and to our ancestors, carrying on a 3000 year tradition – something that will inevitably strengthen their identity as Jews.

To this day, I am able to read and follow along with Hebrew text quite well, but I am unable to discern the meaning of text. In contrast, my children are acquiring literacy and fluency, which gives the Hebrew language meaning and purpose that will serve them long after they become B’nai Mitzvah.

Stephanie Rubel is the owner of Fifth Gear Research, a public health evaluation consulting firm. She lives with her husband and their three children in Atlanta, Georgia.

Taken from Why I Became a Day School Proponent

JULY 9, 2017 EJewish Philanthrophy

Why Go Jewish? All of our local day schools all have strong Hebrew programs. Check them all out on the Go Jewish website: Day Schools and High Schools.