Shalom, friend!

Welcome to Lesson 1 of the Hebrew for Homeschoolers course! In this lesson, we will be covering the very basics of the Hebrew language. We will start by introducing the Hebrew alphabet, which consists of 22 consonants. The first three letters we will be learning are Aleph, Bet, and Vet.

Aleph is the first letter of the Hebrew alphabet and is represented by the symbol א. It is a silent letter and does not have a sound of its own. However, it can represent a glottal stop, which is a sound made by closing the vocal cords. Bet is the second letter of the Hebrew alphabet and is represented by the symbol ב. It is pronounced like the English letter 'b'. Vet is the third letter of the Hebrew alphabet and is also represented by the symbol ב. It is pronounced like the English letter 'v'.

In addition to the consonants, Hebrew also has a system of vowel markings called Nikkudot. These are small dots and lines that are written above, below, and inside the consonants to indicate the vowels. Learning how to read and pronounce these vowel marks is an important part of learning Hebrew. We will be introducing them gradually throughout the course to make it easier for you to grasp.

I am so thrilled you will be learning Hebrew with me. :) Please take a moment and let me know down in the comments a little bit about you and your family and why you chose to learn Hebrew in your homeschool. :)

Watch our first lesson here:

Download your Pashut Ivrit (Hebrew notebook) down below.

I recommend you print only the letters page for now and hang it on your homeschool room wall or on the refrigerator as it will be our focus on these next weeks.

Print and hang the numbers page only after we learn to count in Hebrew in class, and so on. That way the kids won't get confused. :)

Let's Recap!

In this lesson, we learned some basic words and phrases that will help you start your journey into the fascinating Hebrew language. Let's begin with our first words in Hebrew:

The word for father in Hebrew is אָב (av), pronounced like "ahv". If you want to say daddy, you can use אַבָּא (abba), pronounced as "ah-bah". These words are commonly used in Hebrew and will be very useful as you continue to learn the language.

Now, let's move on to the vocabulary for this lesson. One of the most important words you will learn is שָׁלוֹם (shalom), which has multiple meanings. It can be used to say hello, goodbye, or peace. It's a versatile word that you will encounter frequently in Hebrew conversations.

Next, we have the word כֵּן (ken), which means yes. It's a simple and straightforward word that is easy to remember and use.

On the other hand, if you want to say no in Hebrew, you can use the word לֹא (lo). It's important to note that the pronunciation of this word is different from the English word "low." In Hebrew, it is pronounced as "loh".

Moving on, we have the word טוֹב (tov), which means good. It's a positive word that can be used to describe various situations or things. If you want to emphasize that something is very good, you can use the phrase טוֹב מְאוֹד (tov meod). The word מְאוֹד (meod) means very, so when you say טוֹב מְאוֹד, you are saying very good.

Now, let's learn some personal pronouns. The word for I or me in Hebrew is אֲנִי (ani), pronounced as "a-nee". It is used when talking about oneself.

Remember that in Hebrew, we do not use the verb in the present tense. So if you want to say "I am David", you simply say "Ani David". It's a simple and efficient way of expressing yourself in Hebrew.

Moving on, we have the word נָעִים (naim), which means nice. You can use this word when describing someone or something that you find pleasant or enjoyable. If you want to say "Nice to meet you" in Hebrew, you can use the phrase נָעִים מְאוֹד (naim meod), which means very nice. It's a polite way of expressing your pleasure in meeting someone.

Finally, we have the word לְהִתְרָאוֹת (lehitraot), which means see you later. It's a common phrase used when saying goodbye to someone.

That's it for this lesson!

In the next lesson, we will continue to build on what we have learned today and expand our Hebrew vocabulary. Practice using these words and phrases in your daily conversations, and you will soon become comfortable with them.

Our first words in Hebrew were:

אָב & אַבָּא

אָב (av) is father and אַבָּא (abba) means daddy.

This Lesson's Vocabulary:

• Shalom - peace/hello/bye.
• Ken - Yes.
• Lo - No.
• Tov - Good.
• Tov meod - Very good.
• Ani (Anee) - I/me.

--> Remember that in Hebrew, we do not use the verb to be in the present tense like we do in English. So, if you want to say, " I am David," you simply say, "Ani David."

• Naim - Nice.
• Naim Meod - Nice to meet you.
• Lehitraot - See you later.

Good luck and see you in the next lesson!

לְהִתְרָאוֹת (lehitraot)!

Miss Ana.

Fun Ways to Learn!

Tips to help the little ones practice their Hebrew even if they are not ready to write yet.

Check out these DIY ideas for Hebrew manipulatives: http://torahtoy.blogspot.com/2012/09/diy-aleph-bet-manipulatives.html

How about using LEGO, Play-Doh, or even buttons?

Be creative!

Feel free to add pictures of what and how you and the kids are practicing Hebrew to inspire other families. :)

Find free Hebrew worksheets to practice here: https://www.akhlah.com/hebrew/worksheets/