Hebrew is at the heart of our school. As students continue to grow in their Jewish education, Hebrew language becomes an integral part of their Jewish identity.

Research shows that learning a second language, enhances intellectual growth, enriches a child’s mental development, and improves children’s understanding of their native language. But Hebrew,  is much more than a foreign language. It is the language in which Jews communicated with each other for thousands of years, between communities around the world and across generations.

At CTA, learning Hebrew Language, both modern and classical,  has the added benefits of connecting our students to the Jewish People across time and space, fostering a connection with the Land and State of Israel, and enhancing Jewish Identity.

While students are exposed to classical Hebrew in their Judaic Studies classes, our Hebrew Language classes focus on modern Hebrew. Our Hebrew program cultivates growth among our students towards comfort and proficiency in the areas of reading fluency and comprehension, writing, grammar, listening comprehension and speaking with the modern day-to-day Hebrew language. We are proud that many of our students choose to continue their studies in Israel, and most of our High School graduates earn foreign language credits in college in the US.

Curriculum

Lower School students participate in age-appropriate Hebrew classes 4 times a week. Instruction in the Lower School prioritizes comfort among students with Hebrew through exposure from native Hebrew teachers. Our teachers use a variety of authentic printed and online materials, including several textbooks,  the online Niflaot and  Ivrit B’Click – published by  MaTaCh (The Center for Educational Technology) in Israel, and other resources published to enrich Hebrew study for English speaking students.

Our goal is to prepare Lower School students to integrate into our more intense Middle and Upper School Hebrew curriculum Bishvil HaIvrit (also published by MaTaCh, The Center for Educational Technology in Israel).

These innovative Hebrew curricula were developed especially for English-speaking Upper School students by language specialists from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and MaTaCh, The Center for Educational Technology (CET) in Israel. They are also endorsed by the Avi Chai Foundation and administered by Hebrew College in Boston.

We emphasize modern Hebrew language skills relevant to daily life: Hebrew dialogues, reading and writing, vocabulary, speaking and listening skills with grammatical concepts weaved in, as well as a connection to the State of Israel and modern Israeli culture.

Our program also includes experiential units and lessons in which teachers are using technology, dramatization, research, games, presentations, interviews, songs, music, art, and more to engage students in hands-on projects and use all aspects of the language at their level.

Need Support?  No Hebrew?  No problem.

Students who transfer in with some Hebrew are assessed and placed in an appropriate class. If students have no Hebrew or need any support to catch up with class level, we enroll them in the following programs:

Lower School students receive individualized and small group support in our Hebrew Learning Center, with a Hebrew Teacher. The Hebrew Learning Center also serves any student that needs additional support during the year.

Upper School students who don’t have any Hebrew background are placed in introduction classes using our B’Sod HaIvrit or Bishvil HaIvrit mechinah (preparatory) or Introduction to Hebrew classes,  based on their level, where they receive individualized attention in small groups with a Hebrew teacher, and can eventually progress to the Bishvil HaIvrit Curriculum

Lower School Curriculum

Lower School students in 1^st to 4^th grades participate in age-appropriate Hebrew classes 4 times a week. Instruction in the Lower School prioritizes comfort among students with Hebrew through exposure from native Hebrew teachers. Our teachers use a variety of authentic printed and online materials, including several textbooks,  the online Niflaot and  Ivrit B’Click – published by  MaTaCh (The Center for Educational Technology) in Israel, and Hebrew newspapers published for foreign students.

Niflaot is a brand new curriculum introduced in 2023 by MaTaCh  for 1^st grade,  and will be expanded through 4^th grade in the years to come. It emphasizes Modern conversational Hebrew, Israeli culture and Holidays with reading, listening, speaking and writing. Niflaot uses both online videos, activities, and games and a variety of colorful and engaging classroom materials.

Our curriculum prepares students directly to start the more advanced curriculum Bishvil HaIvrit in 5^th grade.

Lower School students in 5^th-6^th grades are engaged with the more advanced curriculum B’Sod HaIvrit and BiShvil HaIvrit בשביל העברית . This innovative and dynamic curriculum also from  MaTaCh (Center for Educational Technology in Israel) brings Hebrew alive with printed and digital media and cultivates all aspects of Hebrew language learning – grammar and content, conversations and literature, topics for lively discussion, poetry, daily life in Israel, current events and Biblical texts, history and more. The program is also rich in technology activities as well as classroom materials.

Please see more details about Bishvil HaIvrit in the Upper School Curriculum.