Critical Conceptual Tools with Practical Application for Strengthening Hebrew Language Instruction and Learning
Esty Gross is Chief of Staff and Director of Education at Hebrew at the Center, with over 25 years of experience in Hebrew and second language education. Dr. Gross previously served as the Education Director for Hebrew Studies at the Center for Educational Technology and has taught at HUC and USC. A former co-chair of NAHeT, she presents widely and authors curricula and articles on equitable language education. She holds a doctorate in Educational Leadership from USC.
Over the past several years, I’ve found myself in the same conversation again and again with teachers, department chairs, and school leaders who care deeply about Hebrew but feel stuck. Not stuck because of a lack of passion, and not even because of a lack of resources, but because of something harder to name: a lack of shared clarity.
The questions come in different forms: What is the role of Hebrew in Jewish day schools today? Why teach Hebrew? Why learn Hebrew? What is Hebrew meant to accomplish? What should a graduate of a Jewish day school know and be able to do in Hebrew? Who is an effective Hebrew educator? What does effective Hebrew language teaching and learning actually look like?
At first, these questions may sound abstract. However, strong frameworks can help shape very real decisions: how time is used, how teaching is approached, which curricula are chosen, and how educators are supported. A clear articulation also creates shared expectations among schools, students, and families.
Two conceptual tools have been especially helpful in our work with Jewish day schools seeking meaningful change in their Hebrew programs. These are not programs, products, or checklists, but ways of thinking that help align intention with practice. What follows is a description of how we use these conceptual frameworks as guides in real educational settings, and what they can make possible once they are taken seriously.
Starting With the Question We Rarely Ask: Why Hebrew?
The first tool grew out of a deceptively simple question: Why Hebrew? Not “Why is Hebrew important in general?”—a question that usually produces lofty, familiar answers—but “Why Hebrew here?” and “Why Hebrew in this school, with these students, at this moment?”
In many educational settings, Hebrew exists everywhere and nowhere at the same time. It appears in mission statements, on classroom walls, in assemblies, and prayers. Yet when decisions need to be made about time allocation, assessment, staffing, or expectations, there is often no shared reference point for what Hebrew is actually meant to do. The answers are often varied, implicit, or even contradictory.
Some people see Hebrew primarily as a language of communication or as a gateway to Jewish texts and tefilah. Others experience it as a connector to Israel, a cultural marker, or a symbol of belonging. These perspectives often coexist within the same institution, at times reinforcing one another, and at times pulling in different directions. The challenge, then, is not whether Hebrew exists, but whether its role is clearly understood, collectively held, and meaningfully aligned with everyday practice.
Some organizations describe this work as articulating a “Why Hebrew;” others find that thinking in terms of language policy is more accurate and more actionable. Either way, the underlying goal is alignment between values and daily practice, between aspiration and reality, and between ideological intent and pedagogical practices. The process to achieve that alignment requires a structured inquiry that helps an organization clarify what Hebrew is meant to do, how it is used and modeled, and what success might realistically look like over time. At its core is a simple but powerful premise: clarity precedes implementation.
The process itself unfolds in three phases.
The first phase focuses on discovery. Rather than starting with ideals or assumptions, the work begins by examining the existing Hebrew ecosystem within the organization. This includes reviewing internal documents and messaging, mapping key stakeholders, and engaging in conversations with leadership, educators, staff, students, and families. Particular attention is given to where Hebrew shows up or doesn’t, how it is used across different spaces and age groups, where opportunities may be missed, and what meanings people attach to it.
These conversations surface important questions: Where does Hebrew feel meaningful and where does it feel performative? What assumptions are operating beneath the surface? What tensions or gaps exist between stated values and actual practice? What external pressures, such as parent expectations, time constraints, or broader communal narratives, shape what is possible? The outcome of this phase is not a verdict, but a synthesis—a clearer picture of the patterns, opportunities, and constraints that already exist.
The second phase focuses on development. Insights from the discovery phase are curated and translated into a draft articulation of the school’s Hebrew mission and vision or a Hebrew language policy. This work is iterative and dialogic. Through facilitated conversations, participants clarify what they mean when they say “Hebrew,” set boundaries around what the policy is and is not responsible for, and prioritize goals and audiences.
The articulation typically addresses several dimensions: why Hebrew matters in this particular context; what kind of Hebrew is valued and why; how Hebrew functions in relation to identity, community, communication, and connection; and what expectations are realistic at different stages and for different roles. The result is a shared, explicit framework that reflects the organization’s values while remaining grounded in its realities.
The third phase involves translating that articulation into practice. Once there is clarity, practical implications can be explored more coherently. This may include considerations related to instructional approach (Ivrit BeIvrit or translation method), staffing and leadership roles, time allocation, professional learning priorities, curriculum mapping, and curricular choices. It may also involve identifying markers and assessment tools that help the organization track progress over time.
Crucially, these decisions flow from the articulated language policy rather than preceding it. Instead of reacting to immediate needs or external pressures, the organization now has a reference point for decision-making. What tends to emerge from this process is coherence. Leaders, educators, and stakeholders share a common vocabulary for talking about Hebrew. Decisions feel less ad hoc and less dependent on individual personalities. Hebrew becomes an asset, something that supports learning, connection, and identity, rather than a source of confusion or friction. Teachers understand why certain skills are emphasized at particular stages. Parents have clearer expectations about what their child will be able to know and do in Hebrew when s/he graduates the school.
The language policy itself is not meant to be static. It functions as a living framework that can guide strategic planning, staffing decisions, program design, professional development, and communication with families and funders. It offers orientation rather than prescription.
Ultimately, this work rests on a simple insight: When the role of Hebrew is clear, practice becomes more intentional. When it is unclear, even a well-designed curriculum or initiative struggles to take root. Clarifying purpose does not solve every challenge, but it creates the conditions in which thoughtful, sustainable Hebrew engagement becomes possible.
From “Good Teachers” to Shared Language About Expertise
The second conceptual tool emerged from a different but related challenge: how to talk meaningfully about Hebrew teaching expertise.
In many schools, Hebrew teachers come from diverse backgrounds. Some are fluent Hebrew speakers with little formal training in language pedagogy; others are trained educators who learned Hebrew later in life. Some have decades of experience; others are new to the field. Too often, discussions about quality collapsed into vague terms like “strong,” “experienced,” or “not a good fit.”
What was missing was a shared language for describing what Hebrew teachers actually need to know and be able to do or what effective Hebrew language teaching and learning actually look like.
The competencies model that developed in response to this challenge is best understood as a map, not a measuring stick. It was shaped through ongoing dialogue with educators, Hebrew leaders, and scholars in the fields of Hebrew education, Jewish education, and language pedagogy, and informed by research in general education and second language acquisition. Organized in concentric circles, the model reflects the layered nature of teaching expertise and makes visible the different domains of knowledge that come together in effective Hebrew language teaching.
The outer circle includes foundational knowledge from general education: understanding learners, classroom climate, developmental stages, and instructional design. This knowledge is not specific to Hebrew, but it profoundly shapes how Hebrew is taught. The next layer focuses on language education: how languages are acquired, how skills develop over time, how assessment informs instruction, and how to sequence learning in ways that are cognitively sound. Closer to the center are competencies specific to Hebrew and Israeli culture: knowledge of linguistic structures and the ability to integrate language with cultural meaning. At the center is not mastery, but growth. A commitment to reflection, learning, and professional development anchors the entire model.
What makes this model particularly useful is its combination of breadth and flexibility. It can guide the rewriting of job descriptions so expectations are clearer and more closely aligned with what is required of an effective language educator. It can also function as a shared framework for peer observation and feedback, allowing teachers to discuss instructional practice in a more intentional and systematic way. Instructional leaders and teachers alike can use the model to identify areas for professional growth, both individually and collectively as a team.
Perhaps most importantly, the model challenges the assumption that experience alone equates to expertise. It makes visible the distinction between knowing how to speak Hebrew fluently and pedagogical knowledge, and between teaching content and teaching language while also underscoring that all of these elements must be present to support effective, high-quality Hebrew education for students.
What Can Change When These Tools Are Taken Seriously
Neither of these tools produces instant transformation. What they do produce is alignment.
When schools clarify their “Why Hebrew?,” professional development stops feeling random. When educators share a common language for competencies, feedback conversations become more constructive. When leaders understand the conceptual foundations of language teaching, supervision improves, not because leaders become experts in Hebrew, but because they know what questions to ask and what to look for. Teachers may feel less defensive and more supported. Instead of being evaluated against implicit expectations, they are invited into a shared professional conversation about clear expectations.
Students benefit as well. In schools where Hebrew goals are clearly articulated, learning feels more intentional and visible. Transitions between grades are smoother. Assessments are more coherent. Hebrew becomes less about coverage and more about attitudes, knowledge, and skill development and progression.
None of this requires a new curriculum or a dramatic increase in instructional time. It requires clarity, shared language, and a willingness to examine assumptions.
A Final Reflection
Hebrew education often carries enormous symbolic weight. It is tied to identity, memory, ideology, and aspiration. That weight can make it difficult to talk honestly about practice.
The two conceptual tools described here: the articulation of purpose and the mapping of competencies, do not resolve those tensions. What they do is create space to hold them thoughtfully and guide the work ahead. They remind us that effective Hebrew education is not just about passion or tradition. It is about intentional design, professional knowledge, and alignment between what we value and what we do. And perhaps most importantly, they remind us that clarity is not a luxury in Hebrew education. It is a professional imperative and a foundation for meaningful teaching and learning that shapes the linguistic, cultural, and Jewish futures of our students.
Esty Gross is Chief of Staff and Director of Education at Hebrew at the Center, with over 25 years of experience in Hebrew and second language education. Dr. Gross previously served as the Education Director for Hebrew Studies at the Center for Educational Technology and has taught at HUC and USC. A former co-chair of NAHeT, she presents widely and authors curricula and articles on equitable language education. She holds a doctorate in Educational Leadership from USC.
From The Editor: Spring 2026
By the time I entered the elementary school I attended, it had been around for nearly 50 years and was already in decline. Despite the challenges, there were two things which left a lasting impression. The Jewish studies, which occupied the first half of the day, were all conducted in Hebrew, Ivrit beIvrit; some of the teachers were dedicated, die-hard Hebraists who provided me with a very solid foundation. The Hebrew that I learned gave me access to Israeli songs popularized after the Six Day War and to classic Jewish texts—the siddur, Humash, and even to Gemara (yes, Aramaic and Hebrew are closely connected). The language enabled me to act as a translator when my father’s cousin came to visit from Israel, and even enabled me, years later, to attend a regular Israeli yeshiva—in Hebrew.
Aside from the Hebrew language, the school was suffused with Israeli culture.
Hebrew, Achievement, and Educational Leadership: The Process of Building Depth and Durability
בבתי ספר יהודיים בתפוצות, הוראת עברית נעה זה שנים בין שני קטבים: מחד, שפה של זהות, רגש וחיבור לעם ולמדינה; מאידך, מקצוע הנאבק על מקומו מול תחומי דעת הנתפסים כ”ליבתיים” ובעלי יוקרה אקדמית. כמנהל מחלקה לעברית וכמורה בבית ספר יהודי־ציוני, מצאתי את עצמי שואל לא פעם: האם תפקידי הוא להגיב לציפיות משתנות של תלמידים, הורים והקשר פוליטי, או שמא להציב חזון חינוכי ברור—גם במחיר של חיכוך, עומס ואתגר מערכתי. מתוך התבוננות בזהותי כמחנך עברי־ציוני ובחיבור לערכים שעליהם גדלתי, בחרתי לראות בעברית לא רק כלי זהותי אלא תחום דעת מלא: שפה חיה, תרבות עשירה, וספרות ושירה הראויות להילמד ללא התנצלות ובסטנדרטים אקדמיים ברורים.
When Hebrew Became a Lifeline: Teaching Language, Culture, and Identity After October 7
A few days after October 7, I received an email from the parent of one of my students. The message itself was simple: a link to a video of the prayer for the soldiers of the Israel Defense Forces, set to music. But it was the words, written by the student, that stayed with me:
I’m sure you’ll like this video because you are Israeli. It’s a good song, very encouraging. I hope Hashem will watch over all our soldiers and bring them home safely so there will be peace.
This was not an assignment. No one had asked her to do this. It was an instinctive act of connection—a student using Hebrew, prayer, and music to reach out to her teacher and to Israel. In that moment, it became clear to me that Hebrew in my classroom had changed. It was no longer only a subject to be mastered; it had become a lifeline.
Successful Shelihim
Jewish Educational Leadership: What do you see as the real value of shelihim?
Bini Krauss: Ivrit beIvrit has long been a central pillar of what we believe in. I know that there are fewer schools doing that today than there were twenty years ago, for sure, but it’s still something that’s very important to us. So the first thing is that if we want to do it properly, it’s probably good to have people who speak Ivrit as their native language. It’s not the only way to do it, but I believe that it is certainly the best way. Many years ago, I taught at the Yeshivah of Flatbush. I was not a native Hebrew speaker, but I think that I was pretty good. Nonetheless, it is much better for students to interact regularly with those for whom Hebrew is native.
From Exposure to Expression: A Schoolwide Model for Increasing Hebrew Production through Joyful Culturally Rich Pedagogy
Despite significant growth across nearly all curricular areas in recent decades, Hebrew language instruction remains a persistent challenge in many Jewish day schools. While schools throughout the diaspora have sought to address this issue by employing shelihim from Israel, this model has raised ongoing concerns, including a lack of continuity due to frequent staff turnover, uneven pedagogical training, differing cultural assumptions about teaching and learning, and questions of quality control. At the Moriah School (Englewood, NJ), these long-standing concerns converged with a broader question that many school communities face: How could it be that a child could spend twelve years in a Jewish day school and still struggle to speak Hebrew?
This urgent question became the catalyst for our recent initiative. The school’s leadership felt that the moment had arrived for a bold, systemic rethink. Student outcomes in many subjects were improving, yet progress in Hebrew remained stagnant.
Teaching Hebrew in a Changing World
אולי נתחיל בשאלה פשוטה מאוד. למה זה חשוב שיהודי בתפוצות ילמד עברית, ואיך זה משפיע על חייו?
אני חושב שהיא באמת שאלה מאוד מורכבת, מכיוון שאחד מהאתגרים הגדולים שיש היום בתפוצות הוא להתמודד עם השאלה “למה עברית?”. אני חושב שלכולם די ברור למה צריך לעסוק בתכנים יהודיים—בחלק מבתי הספר קוראים לזה מקצועות הקודש, בחלק מבתי הספר מגדירים את זה אחרת—אבל לכולם מאוד ברור שבית ספר יהודי צריך שתהיה לו זיקה ליהדות. אך מבחינת העברית יש היום הרבה מאוד סימני שאלה גדולים. ה”אני מאמין” שלי, והוא שלי בלבד, זה שאנחנו מלמדים עברית משתי סיבות. אלף, מתוך זה שהעברית היא חלק מהעולם היהודי. אי אפשר לנתק את העברית מכל ההיסטוריה היהודית. העברית היא הערך הבסיסי ביותר של היהדות.
Hebrew as an Identity Anchor in Diaspora Supplementary Schools: A Response to a Secular-Israeli-Jewish community
הוראת עברית כעוגן זהותי בחינוך המשלים בתפוצות: מענה לצורך הקהילה הישראלית-חילונית
מאת: אליאנה גורדון, נירית פריקורן וטל זילברשטיין פז
תקציר
מאמר זה מציג מודל פרקטי ליצירת תחושת שייכות וטיפוח זהות ישראלית-יהודית רב-שכבתית בקרב ילדים להורים ישראלים החיים בתפוצות, בדגש על קהילתיות ועל יחס ליהדות כתרבות חיה ומתפתחת. המאמר מתמקד באופן שבו בית ספר לעברית משלים יוצא מגבולות המוסד הלימודי וממסגרת השיעור הפרונטלי והופך לעוגן קהילתי, תרבותי, וחיוני עבור הקהילה המקומית כולה.
From Immersion to Deliberation: A Model for Hebrew Identity Education
In recent years, we have found ourselves returning to a question that feels both old and new: If early Zionist thinkers believed that reviving Hebrew could reshape Jewish life, how might they have imagined teaching it in communities far from the land where it would be revived? We are not historians of Zionist pedagogy, and we do not pretend to reconstruct their educational blueprints. But reading figures such as Ze’ev Jabotinsky alongside other early twentieth-century voices forces us to pause and plan intentionally. For them, Hebrew was never meant to function merely as a school subject. It was imagined as atmosphere, as music, as discipline, as shared inheritance. It was something that would seep into consciousness and form character.
Ze’ev Jabotinsky, founder of the Revisionist Zionist movement and the Betar youth organization, is often remembered for his political writings and sharp polemics. Yet woven throughout his speeches and essays is a sustained concern with formation.
Language Defines Identity: A Literary Unit on Multilingualism and Multiculturalism
אירועי השבעה באוקטובר ומה שאירע בעקבותיהם היו שבר שהשפעתו עדיין מהדהדת בכול. לא רק שערעור תחושת הביטחון, האמון, והאמונה שלי עצמי הקשו עליי לעמוד בכיתה וללמד ״כרגיל״, גם תלמידיי בצפון קליפורניה הרחוקה והבטוחה חשו שמשהו נסדק. בימים הראשונים שלאחר הטבח, תלמידים אמרו לי שלראשונה בחייהם הם נחשפים לגילויי אנטישמיות וחוששים לביטחונם האישי, או לעסק בעל הנראות היהודית מאוד של משפחתם. הדהימה אותי העובדה שגם בתיכון היהודי הקטן שבו אני מלמדת (180 תלמידים), תלמידים, אנשי סגל ומשפחותיהם הכירו אישית חטופים, ניצולים, לוחמים וחללים.
בשנת הלימודים 2024-2025, תכננתי ללמד את ההקבצה המתקדמת שלנו (כיתות ט׳-יב) קורס בספרות עברית. היחידה שעמה החלטתי לפתוח את השנה עוסקת ברב-לשוניות ורב-תרבותיות, נושא שמעסיק אותי בחיי האישיים והמקצועיים כאחד.
What Would Jabotinsky Expect from a Hebrew Program Today?
In recent years, we have found ourselves returning to a question that feels both old and new: If early Zionist thinkers believed that reviving Hebrew could reshape Jewish life, how might they have imagined teaching it in communities far from the land where it would be revived? We are not historians of Zionist pedagogy, and we do not pretend to reconstruct their educational blueprints. But reading figures such as Ze’ev Jabotinsky alongside other early twentieth-century voices forces us to pause and plan intentionally. For them, Hebrew was never meant to function merely as a school subject. It was imagined as atmosphere, as music, as discipline, as shared inheritance. It was something that would seep into consciousness and form character.
Ze’ev Jabotinsky, founder of the Revisionist Zionist movement and the Betar youth organization, is often remembered for his political writings and sharp polemics. Yet woven throughout his speeches and essays is a sustained concern with formation.
Resilience in Jewish Education Begins With Hebrew
כמעט שמונה עשורים מהווים בתי הספר “המלך דויד” (King David) ביוהנסבורג רשת של בתי ספר יהודיים, הפועלת תחת חסות ועד החינוך היהודי בדרום אפריקה. הרשת כוללת ארבעה קמפוסים ומציעה חינוך מגיל גן ועד תיכון, במסגרת משותפת לבנים ולבנות, ובה לומדים כיום כ־2700 תלמידים ומלמדים כ־385 מורים. בתי הספר פועלים ברוח אורתודוקסית-מסורתית, תוך פתיחות וקבלת תלמידים ממשפחות יהודיות מגוונות. לצד חינוך כללי ברמה גבוהה, מושם דגש משמעותי על לימודי עברית ולימודי יהדות, כחלק מתפיסה חינוכית הרואה בשפה, במסורת ובקשר למדינת ישראל מרכיבים מרכזיים בזהותם של התלמידים. במסגרת קהילה יהודית מגובשת ובעלת ציפיות ברורות, בתי הספר שואפים לחנך תלמידים בעלי זהות יהודית וציונית, תחושת שייכות, ואחריות כלפי הקהילה והחברה.
כאשר התחלתי להוביל את תחום העברית בבית הספר, הבנתי שהשאלה איננה כמה שעות עברית נלמדות (למרות שאף זו שאלה חשובה), אלא איזה מעמד יש לעברית בתרבות הבית ספרית.
Shinshinim in Schools: An Insider View
The following interview has been edited for clarity and brevity.
Jewish Educational Leadership: Many of our readers are familiar with what a shinshin is, but not all. Can you tell us briefly?
Shira Rafalovitz: Sure. Shinshin is short for shenat sherut, a year of service. It is a year of volunteer work that some Israelis do before they start the army. Most people do their sherut in Israel, volunteering in lots of different places, but some of us choose to go overseas to work in schools or Jewish communities where we think that we can help build bridges between Jewish communities around the world and Israel. I got placed in Detroit, where I did most of my work at Frankel Jewish Academy, the high school. I also did some teaching in a Sunday school with younger kids and with a synagogue.
Preparing Shelihim for Transformative Educational Leadership
Ben Porat Yosef (BPY) is an Early Childhood-8th grade Modern Orthodox yeshiva day school (Paramus, NJ). The school was founded 25 years ago, initially as a Sephardic educational institution, and shortly thereafter shifting to our current model as a dual-curriculum Sephardic and Ashkenazic school, where students who hail from either heritage and tradition are welcomed and celebrated. Moreover, the educational program trains our students in the laws, customs, and culture of the varied Sephardic and Ashkenazic traditions.
The other core element of our mission is to develop in our students a love for Am Yisrael, Eretz Yisrael, and Medinat Yisrael. This is executed in a variety of ways, and two central components are our Hebrew Immersion model and our shelihim program.
Many Diaspora day schools aspire to effectively teach Judaic Studies in Ivrit, for both philosophical and educational reasons. However, there are several significant challenges that have likely contributed to less-than-ideal implementation in the broader field.
Cafe Ivrit: Hebrew Conversation & Connection for Supplemental School Students
In supplemental school settings, there is so much for our students to learn in so little time. With a focus on learning Jewish traditions and preparing for Benei Mitzvah services, students often interact with Hebrew as an ancient language used in prayer and the Torah. It can be challenging for educators to allocate additional preparation and class time for students to experience Hebrew as a modern, spoken language.
Congregation Beth Elohim (Acton, Massachusetts) is an independent synagogue of about 200 families. We strive to foster a warm, welcoming, and inclusive environment that fulfills the ever-changing needs of our Jewish community. Our supplemental Religious School includes students from kindergarten through 10th Grade. We seek to create a learning environment that is warm and engaging, and to create a love of learning and a strong Jewish connection that will stay with our students throughout their lives.
Hebrew 2.0- A Language that Shapes Reality: Hebrew as a Catalyst for Developing Thoughtful, Engaged an Influential Youth
The transformations of the 21st century bring with them fundamental changes in the way we understand second language acquisition processes. Social, cultural, and economic shifts are creating a reality in which intercultural and multilingual interactions are becoming central to our daily lives. In this reality, researchers and educators who teach languages are called upon to be attentive and open to change, and to adapt instruction to evolving contexts, to prepare learners to navigate a complex and unpredictable world. Accordingly, there is a growing need to adopt an updated perspective on second language acquisition, one that is suited to a dynamic reality and reflects the broad cultural and identity-related contexts within which language learning takes place.
Many education systems are now aware of the need for reforms and the renewal of content and teaching methods, so that these may incorporate, as an inherent part of the learning process, the new skills that students require in the 21st century: communication skills, creativity, critical thinking, problem solving, and collaboration.
Reach 10,000 Jewish educational professionals. Advertise in the upcoming issue of Jewish Educational Leadership.
