Teaching our children diligently has been part of Jewish life since the writing of the Torah, a commandment that our community has always embraced.
An essential part of that education is Hebrew fluency, which allows young Jews to find their place within Judaism and Jewish culture, as well as cement their bonds with Israel.
Just as important is the commandment to honor one’s parents, which in our multicultural country can involve learning about roots in foreign lands and respecting the traditions of ancestors. Those tasks also require language instruction, and not always in Hebrew.
Two stories in the paper this week highlight remarkable language instruction programs the Jewish community should know about and support.
One has been in place for more than 20 years. The Hebrew language program at San Francisco’s Lowell High School — a public school — is the only course of its kind in all of Northern California, and probably only one of a handful across the country.
Our story sheds light on the methods of teacher Batia Horsky, who tailors her Hebrew instruction to the individual needs of her students. She makes learning Hebrew fun, and thus has welcomed all interested students into her class, Jewish and non-Jewish.
This program, which depends completely on charitable donations, not only strengthens Hebrew skills in Jewish students who may have left Hebrew behind after their bar or bat mitzvah, but also introduces the language — and Israeli culture — to non-Jews.
Another story this week describes the Shalom School, a private preschool overseen by Rebbetzin Hinda Langer, and its highly unusual pre-kindergarten classes.
The classes are conducted in English, with Hebrew instruction, of course. But some of the classes feature Russian, the mother tongue of thousands of Jewish immigrants in the Bay Area. Making sure that American-born grandchildren can communicate fully with their Russian-speaking elders enhances family relationships and helps ensure a different kind of Jewish continuity.
And with a new transitional kindergarten class starting this fall, this unique language instruction will reach even more kids.
In the case of the Lowell program, the funding is not yet there for the 2013-14 school year. This is worrisome. It would be a tremendous loss if the program were to fold.
We strongly urge the Bay Area Jewish community to step up and support innovative, successful language programs like those at Lowell and the Shalom School.