How to read Hebrew
Making sure you know how to read Hebrew fluently is integral in your Hebrew journey. I have lost count of how many pupils I have taught how to read Hebrew, but I always emphasise that reading Hebrew fluently is more important than reading Hebrew quickly. I will always remember when I was at a Jewish primary school; the Hebrew teacher had competitions to see how fast the students could read Hebrew. Sure, they knew how to read Hebrew, but were they fluent?

Having the ability to read this ancient language is a skill that not everyone can master, apart from teaching my pupils to be able to read the letters and vowels of the Hebrew alphabet. So, part of my Hebrew teaching is teaching my students to recognise how to break up a Hebrew word into syllables.

Through the years of teaching, I have worked out there are six different types of Hebrew syllables. So, I tell my students; it is like looking for a pattern. Once they can work out the pattern, learning how to read Hebrew will become a lot easier.

Breaking up words into syllables also helps slow the reader down tremendously. It is all very well being able to read the language, but if it is riddled with mistakes and the reader is stumbling over every word, they cannot claim to be able to read. As mentioned earlier, I always emphasise fluency over speed.

Even when I am asked to read Hebrew in the synagogue, I take my time and mentally break the words into syllables. It helps me concentrate on each word, slows my reading down, and helps me to read fluently. Nothing is worse than a person reading a prayer in Hebrew and not knowing the correct way to read it.