Jonathan taught this session, presenting an introduction to nouns and the endings that they take. This was the fourth session of the course, and it was aimed at covering the material in Lesson III of the book.

Making Plurals in English

In English, our nouns are normally very simple. To form plurals, we just add –s, or –es if the last sound calls for it. Thus, computer simply becomes computers; desk becomes desks; friend becomes friends; and, box (ending in an s sound) becomes boxes. There is a list that all school children must memorize of “irregular” nouns like ox (oxen) and child (children), as well as some that do not change form for the plural (fish can be either one fish or twenty fish).

Continue reading “Seow — Session 4” →

Well, that was fun!  That was the first Hebrew course I’ve taught in a number of years.  It’s good to be back!

Jason and I thought it would be a good idea to post “recaps” following a lesson. So, without further ado, here goes!

1. I know that we are all of various skill levels and backgrounds here, but I continue to be impressed about the rate at which we’re learning. I am grateful: it is apparent that everyone takes the course seriously, even though it’s free. I really appreciate that.
2. I appreciate the questions that people are asking! In most cases (at least in my experience teaching at institutions), that doesn’t happen – even if the student is paying a thousand dollars per credit hour.
3. I appreciate that students are DOING their homework! This is absolutely necessary in order to retain and solidify your Hebrew learning.
4. I also appreciate how well you are doing in your reading. I will continue to espouse that, if reading isn’t “the” most important component to learning Biblical Hebrew, it’s in the top two or three. You all are doing very well!

Remember – Greek starts easy and gets hard, while Hebrew starts hard and gets easier!  It’s all downhill from here, folks.

Hopefully.

בְּרָכוֹת

Jonathan

Well, I missed the summary of Session 2, having put a LOT of information into my recap of the alphabet.

In our second session, we covered Lesson I of Dr. C.L. Seow’s A Grammar for Biblical Hebrew, Rev. Ed. (Abingdon, 1995). Lesson I presents the consonants of the Hebrew alphabet (what we call the “Aleph-Bet” הָאָלֶפְבֵּית), explaining the final forms, and how each letter is represented in academic transcription.

Continue reading “Seow — Session 2” →

You should be aware that we have recently begun a new trek into Dr. C.L. Seow’s A Grammar for Biblical Hebrew, Rev. Ed. (Abingdon, 1995), which you can purchase here on Amazon. If you don’t have a copy of the textbook, it will be difficult for you to follow along and you will miss a lot of the material.

In the first session, which you can view here and is embedded below, Jonathan leads us through a generic introduction to the Hebrew aleph-bet. At this stage, which is actually a pre-textbook lesson, it is important to begin to learn the names of the letters and their sounds. On the presentation, we divided the letters up into several groups to make memorization easier.

Here I will simply present the letters in order. We tend to call it the “aleph-bet” in Hebrew based on the names of the first two letters, but it is truly an abjad because vowels are not represented directly.

Continue reading “Seow — Session 1” →

Four Strands of Language-Learning

In the last post, we talked about productive and receptive language skills, but there are more skills involved in language learning than these four. Paul Nation talks about “four strands” of language learning. He labels them: meaning-focused input (receptive skills), meaning-focused output (productive skills), language-focused learning, and fluency development. We have already talked about input and output here. This post, then, will focus on what Nation calls language-focused learning and fluency development. Continue reading “There Is Still More Learning To Do!” →

Shalom, Future Scholars!

We are absolutely thrilled to invite you to our brand new biblical Hebrew course, “Beginning Hebrew 101,” hosted on The Hebrew Café with YouTube Live!

🌟 Uncover the Ancient Wisdom: Dive into the fascinating world of Biblical Hebrew and unlock the secrets of ancient texts. This course will guide you step-by-step through the foundations of the language, making it accessible and engaging.

🎓 Engage with Expert Teachers: Learn from passionate instructors who are dedicated to your success. Our live sessions will provide you with personalized attention, interactive lessons, and the opportunity to ask questions in real-time in the live chat on YouTube.

Continue reading “Your Official Welcome” →

As preparation for your study of Hebrew together with us on YouTube Live, you are encouraged to do what you can to master the Hebrew alphabet (the “aleph-bet”) before our next meeting (Monday at 5:00pm EST).

In order to accomplish this, I would recommend two YouTube projects:

1. “Aleph with Beth” has put together a playlist intended to help you learn the aleph-bet. You can access it here.
2. Alternatively, our friends at Biblingo have also made a playlist to introduce students to the aleph-bet. You can access it here.

It is important that you learn to read the alphabet and sound out words as we start our course.

In our next session, we will review the alphabet and introduce the idea of academic transliteration. 

As always, feel free to ask questions here on this post, in our Facebook group, or on Discord. We’re eager for you to start your journey into biblical Hebrew!

See you then!

For those who are interested, this is where we currently stand. You can always check out our streams on YouTube under “Live” [link]. This includes a playlist with all of our Psalms readings, another with all of our Joshua readings, and another with all of our Hebrew-to-English translation sessions from Weingreen. We also have an unlisted playlist of the English-to-Hebrew translation exercises for our Patreon users.
Continue reading “Latest Updates for YouTube Live (Streams)” →

Hey, Hebrew enthusiasts! 🌟

We’ve been buzzing with activity here at The Hebrew Café, and we’re excited to share our latest updates with you all. Here’s a glimpse into what we’ve been up to lately:

1. YouTube Live Sessions Galore: We’re thrilled to announce that we’re now hosting three live sessions per week on our YouTube channel. Click on “Live” on our channel to see our previous sessions and what is upcoming. Here’s what you can expect to find:
   • Readings in Biblical Hebrew: Join us for an engaging exploration of biblical texts, where we delve deep into Hebrew syntax, word meanings, and thought-provoking discussions. We are about to finish the tenth chapter of Joshua. Once we finish that chapter, we will be moving on to a selection of the Psalms and then into other portions of the biblical text. We meet on Mondays at 5:00pm (EST). [Readings Playlist]
   • Weingreen’s Textbook Journey: Dive into Weingreen’s renowned textbook, A Practical Grammar for Classical Hebrew, as we translate exercises from Hebrew to English. Perfect for those looking to strengthen their understanding of Hebrew grammar! As of today, we have completed up to Exercise 25 in this textbook. We meet on Mondays at 6:00pm (EST). [Weingreen Playlist]
   • English-to-Hebrew Mastery (exclusive to paid patrons): For our valued Patreon supporters, we offer an exclusive session focusing on Weingreen’s English-to-Hebrew exercises. It’s a fantastic opportunity to hone your translation skills and deepen your grasp of Hebrew language nuances. We meet on Mondays at 7:00pm (EST).
2. Exclusive Patreon Membership Benefits: Speaking of Patreon, we want to express our gratitude to our patrons who support us in our Hebrew teaching journey. Your contributions enable us to provide enriching content and maintain the quality of our sessions. If you haven’t joined our Patreon community yet, consider becoming a member to unlock access to our exclusive content!
3. No Paid Courses Currently Open for Registration: While we’re constantly exploring new ways to enhance our offerings, we want to clarify that we’re not currently running any paid courses open for registration. Rest assured, we’re fully focused on delivering top-notch experiences through our live sessions and Patreon perks.

So, whether you’re a seasoned Hebrew scholar or just beginning your Hebrew adventure, there’s something for everyone at The Hebrew Café. Join us on YouTube for enlightening discussions, and if you’re eager to take your learning to the next level, consider joining our Patreon community.

Stay tuned for more exciting updates, and let’s continue our Hebrew journey together!

Shalom and happy learning,
Jason Hare and Jonathan Beck
The Hebrew Café