Imagine the attention I would receive if I wore a t-shirt with the slogan How can I learn Hebrew online easily? It would be a head-turner. It is quite an unusual catchphrase. However, the unusual catchphrases often grab people’s attention and spark a conversation. It reminds me of a weight-loss company in the 1990s whose slogan was Do you want to lose weight? Ask me how.
Wearing a t-shirt with the slogan How can I learn Hebrew online easily provides opportunities. It provides an opportunity for people to start a meaningful conversation about ways to start learning the biblical Hebrew language. Some people need help finding classes or how to access resources to learn the Hebrew alphabet. It might be the answer for some people if they cannot attend face-to-face Hebrew classes.
A bit of history about online learning
Online learning, in general, only became a ‘thing’ in approximately 1982 and 1983. Online courses were available for those with personal computers. Fast-forward to 1993, Jones International University in Colorado became the first fully web-based accredited university. Since then, online learning has become increasingly popular, especially during and after the COVID-19 pandemic.
Many people find online learning a life-saver. It can be especially true for those who are time-poor. Or for those who have lots of other commitments in other areas of their lives. Or maybe some people have limited access to transport options. Online learning allows the person to participate in learning opportunities from the comfort of their own home, saving on time and energy by not having to travel!
Questions through the ages
It is fascinating that as life changes, so do the questions we ask. If I think back to the 1980s when we first started recording TV shows on video we would have asked questions around that. One question might have been, does anyone have a blank video tape I can use? However, as recording on videos became obsolete and we started downloading movies we thought of new questions. One questions would have been, do we have enough data to download xxx?
It is interesting that the types of questions that are asked change with the times and sometimes become irrelevant as the world evolves and technology advances. The question How can I learn Hebrew online easily would only have been thought of in the early 1990s. It has surged ever since.
A new question to ask – how can I learn Hebrew online easily?
The same can be applied to learning Hebrew. Learning Hebrew online only became a ‘thing’ in the late twentieth and early twenty-first centuries. Before this time, nobody would have asked for tips on learning Hebrew online. The common question might be whether I must go to Hebrew school on Sunday morning. I find it fascinating how history changes our questions.
Now that the new question is how can I learn Hebrew online quickly? It is essential to find strategies to do just this. The first step is learning how to read the letters of this ancient text. However, reading Hebrew is not just about reading the letters. Reading Hebrew is also about being able to read the words fluently. Hence, finding tools to help you with this is also essential.
Hebrew letters – an essential tool for reading Hebrew!
It is fair to say that learning the Hebrew letters, also known as the alef bet, is a critical first step to learning Hebrew reading. Yes, some people learn to read Hebrew using English transliteration, but this will only get a person so far. At this point they will be stuck because they cannot read! Learning to read in transliteration will not enable the student to read a new Hebrew word in Hebrew!
I will always remember when I was studying at Hebrew and Religion School, we had to learn to read Hebrew prayers. As this was during the mid-1980s, we needed the opportunity to start the conversation about how can I learn Hebrew online. We had to learn to read the language the old-fashioned way.
I remember one girl who could not be bothered to learn how to read this ancient alphabet fluently. So, when she had to learn to read a particular prayer in Hebrew, she wrote the transliteration above each Hebrew word. The rabbi teaching these prayers to the class was so angry and rubbed out every bit of the transliteration. Understandably, she was unable to read the Hebrew!
Finding the right Hebrew course for you
Finding a suitable course to learn Hebrew can take time and effort for a person not involved in the Jewish community. Fortunately, these days, with the internet so embedded in our lives, multiple possibilities are available. Indeed, this is especially true for a person who has been asking the question how can I learn Hebrew online easily?
Social media platforms, such as Facebook, are great resources for people who need help knowing where to begin looking. A person can search any platform and type in any combination of keywords that are relevant to learning Hebrew. These words can include (but are not limited to) biblical, Hebrew bible or modern Hebrew, and different groups who can guide you to the right course for you will pop up.
Finding a Hebrew course by searching the internet
I am surprised by how many groups on Facebook are dedicated to learning both the ancient alphabet and more advanced Hebrew. Yes, social media opens the way for finding groups with similar interests and focus. However, some Jewish people who want to reconnect with their Judaism or are Christian and want to learn to read the Jewish bible in its original form may not be on social media.
However, if you are not on social media, all you need to do is do a Google search of how can I learn Hebrew online. And multiple options will come up, including Easy Learn Hebrew an online program that teaches you how to read Hebrew from scratch.
