Lesson Number 1: Shalom:

Basic Introduction



Liat and Eran, our two Israelis, meet for the first time. In this first lesson of our Beginner’s Hebrew course, you will learn how to ask someone’s name and greet them in Hebrew.



Preface




Hello and welcome to Learn Hebrew Pod  - 

Shalom UvRuchim HaBaim Le – Learn Hebrew Pod.

שלום וברוכים הבאים

Welcome to lesson one of the first conversational Hebrew course by podcasts.  We are about to embark on an exciting journey together--the journey of learning modern conversational Hebrew.


Jonathan Sternberg

Learn Hebrew Pod Creator and Teacher


My name is Jonathan, and very soon, you will meet two talented and wonderful colleagues of mine.  However, let us start with a short introduction and an explanation of what we are about to do here.

The main tool for using this program is by listening to the recorded audio lessons and podcasts we have for you. Podcasts and audio lessons are a great instrument for learning a new language.  We will further discuss this method on Lesson 1B.


Learn Hebrew Pod Games, Presentations & Quiz


With this opportunity, I would also like to mention that aside from the use of the podcasts and audio lessons, we have other interactive & beneficial techniques provided on our website.  We would love to have feedback, opinions and stories of your personal experience


Learn Hebrew Pod - Lesson No. 1





The Story of the Hebrew Language


The importance of the Hebrew language in the history of the Jewish people and actually the history of the entire Western civilization is enormous and undeniable. It is most commonly known as the Holy language in which the Bible was written. As the Bible is acknowledged for being one of the foundations of the western culture, so is the importance of its originally written language.

The Hebrew language had ceased to function as a spoken language before the destruction of the Second Temple in Jerusalem by the Roman Empire. By that, we mean, more than 2000 years ago! Since then it has been kept alive merely as a written language and mainly for religious purposes.

אליעזר בן יהודה

Eliezer Ben Yehudah


The revival of Hebrew as a spoken language is mostly credited to the pioneering and diligent activity of its initiator Eliezer Ben-Yehuda:

In 1881, when Eliezer Ben-Yehudah and his wife began their journey--to what is now Israel—Hebrew, as we just mentioned, hadn’t been spoken in almost 2,000 years.  Nevertheless, when they arrived in their new homeland, they pledged that they would speak rak be-Ivrit--only in Hebrew.


Eliezer Ben Yehudah at Work 


Eliezer Ben-Yehudah is mostly known for composing and compiling a new and Modern Hebrew Dictionary, at the beginning of the 20th century.  Through its innovation and novelty, this dictionary has set the path for the language to fully function as a spoken conversational language.



It is largely because of Ben-Yehudah’s work in reviving the language that we are able to learn Hebrew together today.  Of course, you don’t have to go quite as far as our friend Eliezer: You don’t need to pledge to speak ONLY in Hebrew!  (But you’ll be amazed at how quickly you’ll be able to engage in a Hebrew conversation!






The Learn Hebrew Pod - Hebrew Course


Learning Hebrew Online
לימוד מקוון של עברית

By all that we just mentioned we realize that the revival of Hebrew is a unique cultural and sociological phenomenon in the history of the human culture.  This makes it for us, as Israelis, thrilled, excited and honored to come up with this first, innovative, interactive and so very useful way of teaching conversational Hebrew.


ליאת וערן - המורים שלנו לעברית
Liat & Eran - Our Hebrew Teachers

In Lesson 1, we will meet our instructors and guides.  And by the time Jonathan, Liat, and Eran have finished introducing themselves to us and to each other, we will have learned quite a bit about Hebrew.  We’ll know, for example, why it is sometimes important to learn full expressions instead of word-for-word translations.  We’ll get our first hint of how important gender is in the Hebrew language.  We’ll learn at least three different ways to tell someone to have a great day.  And we’ll get our first taste of the soon-to-be-famous “cheese cream rule.”


Cream Cheese - or - Cheese Cream?...


So join us at Learn Hebrew Pod from the very beginning, and you’ll never look at cheese cream on a bagel delicious quite the same way again!