Hebrew, Anyone?

Many people inquire about Hebrew learning resources, especially while our classes at Beth Shechinah are suspended. Here are some of the best online resources I have found:

Hebrew for Christians: an excellent site with detailed lessons and exercises, audio and printer-friendly pages for talmidim (students) of all levels. He has done extensive research into Hebrew and Jewish customs as well, and includes articles and teachings based upon Hebrew studies. With downloadable PDF's and frequent updates, this is a site you will want to bookmark.

Navigating the Bible II: This is an online bar/bat mitzvah tutor, offered in English, Russian, and Spanish. It will help you locate the parasha reading for your Hebrew birthday, and has audio files to help you pronounce it and cantor it, and a summary of each portion. It has a reference guide to the people, places, plants and animals mentioned in the Bible and a text search.

Akhlah: The Jewish Children's Learning Network: Here there are many fun and colorful exercises and learning aids. Don't think this is just kid's stuff- Hebrew is Hebrew, and the more fun it is to learn, the more you will retain. They have information on all the Jewish customs, festivals, traditions, and Bible characters, besides crafts for the holidays and a "Hebrew Word of the Day". An excellent resource for home-schooling as well.

BibleGateway.com: A searchable online Bible in over 50 versions and 35 languages: I include this because it is a handy tool to use as a concordance, flip back and forth between Hebrew and English, and to compare various translations. On the homepage, type in your keyword or reference, and then you will be able to choose from the versions and languages. (Languages are listed alphabetically.) The main site is also available in Spanish.