Hebrew and Yiddish

Hebrew and Yiddish

Hebrew language is magical. That is the unique assumption of
Jewish text. Unlike academic theories of linguistics which understand language to be an arbitrarily agreed upon set of symbols,
Jewish tradition asserts that Hebrew is the language "with which
the world was created. This means that Hebrew does not merely
describe reality, it is the source of reality. Rather then being a vehicle to express meaning, the Hebrew language is the source of
meaning. Hebrew is, then, not an etymological system but a spiritual path. Implicit in the Hebrew language itself are all of the basic principles of Jewish spirituality waiting to be unpacked by the
sensitive ear of the spiritual seeker.
From the perspective of Zion and Zionism where this writer
proudly sits, this means that Hebrew language per se can and should
be a primary source of guidance for the growing number of secular Israeli Jews committed to reclaiming the sources of Jewish
culture, values and thought. This is an enormously significant sociological observation, as the one dimension of the Jewish inheritance that was canonized, no almost deified, by secular Zionism,
was Hebrew language. Which one of us did not hear some tale in
Hebrew school about the heroic struggle of Ben Yehuda to revive
the dead language of the Jews, as an integral part of the struggle
20 To order call 1-800-583-2476 or visit our web site: www.judaism.com

for Zion? This means, that at least

existentially, both the Israeli and the
secularized western Jew who was
raised on Zionism as his spiritual fare,
is each uniquely open and receptive
to Hebrew language. Hebrew language then creates an unparalleled
common ground for a genuine
pluralism.
We as students and teachers need
to make a paradigm shift in the essential way we think about, study and
therefore teach Hebrew language; It
must no longer be understood as a
technical linguistic tool, we must reclaim Hebrew as a spiritual path.
Take for example the words safek
(uncertainty) and sippuk (satisfaction). Judaism's unique understanding is that living the sacred life requires a dialectical relationship between paradise and paradox between core certainties and the existence of uncertainty. Both certainty
and uncertainty are vital - each has
its moment.
Healthy religion, as well as
healthy living, flow from simultaneously maintaining certainty and uncertainty. In order to live in the world
in a way that is both grounded and
passionate, I need first to be certain
about myself. If I do not doubt myself, then I have the inner strength to
able to encounter the many areas of
my life where uncertainty is inherent
and inescapable. A healthy acceptance of uncertainty will enable me
to avoid either the paralysis of indecision, or the recklessness of extremism which craves the certainty of
over-simplification. If I am anchored
and motivated by some sense of inner certainty, I can act courageously
in uncertainty. If I hold no inner certainties, then acting from uncertainty
is almost invariably a far too dangerous proposition.
All of the above is implicit in the
magical dance of Hebrew language
and the way it teaches connections
between concepts that are seemingly
unrelated. Safek is the term in Rab-

binic Hebrew for doubt and uncertainty. Sippuk is the Modern Hebrew word for satisfaction: the word
for enough also derives from sippuk
At first blush, these two words seem
to express very different concepts;
uncertainty seems very far from a satisfying situation, as the midrash says
wisely: "There is no joy like the resolution of doubt." However linguistically, these two words are close relatives, both deriving from the same
three-letter root (S-P/F-K). From the
spiritual etymology view that we suggested, the Hebrew language is hinting to us that the two concepts or uncertainty and satisfaction interlock
more deeply than we would at first
imagine. True sippuk - satisfaction depends on resolving the inner safek
of our identity.
If we succeed in finding core certainty of our own being, we will enable ourselves to engage with the uncertainties of the world in a healthy
and ultimately satisfying way. If on
the other hand we do not resolve our
inner safek, if we are not sure of who
we are and what we truly need, we
will spend our lives blindly searching for sippuk in the places least likely
to offer it.
There are endless examples of the
way in which exploring Hebrew
language can bring us to deep and
meaningful contact with our spiritual
heritage. Let me use this opportunity to urge you to study Hebrew, not
just grammar and syntax, but the
magic of Hebrew, our unique spiritual path as Jews. In it well find a
path of mutual respect and communication with all Jews, regardless of
their affiliation, observance or place
of birth.

Rabbi Mordecai Gafni

Rabbi Gafni is the director of
Minad, a Torah think-tank teaching
organization, and serves as the
Melitz Scholar-in-Residence. Described as a cross between Rabbi
Soloveitchik
and
Shlomo
Carlebach, Rabbi Gafni has attracted huge numbers of students in
Jerusalem and TelAviv ranging
from secular Israelis to black hat
yeshiva students. He is currently
completing a book tentatively titled
The Benefit of Doubt.

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21

Hebrew and Yiddish

Textbooks

Learn Modern Hebrew

Audio Tapes

About Hebrew

Ha-Yesod

The Joys Of Hebrew

by Luba Uveeler and Norman M. Bronznick

#38502p. Basic college level textbook. Seventh revised edition. (448 pages)

by Lewis Glinert
#37806p. A remarkable collection of over six
hundred of the best known, most loved Hebrew words and phrases in the English speaking world. From Acharon to Zohar, this
informative and often humorous dictionary
features Hebrew words and expressions arranged in alphabetical order. The book provides a concise definition of each entry, and
then illustrates the word's usage with generous passages from the Bible, the Talmud, the
Psalms, folklore, and the work of contemporary authors.

Hebrew Verb Tables

by Asher Tarmon
#38403p. Updated and expanded, the secret
of this book's success is its convenient method
for conjugating over 3,000 verbs without having to learn the complex rules. The new edition includes Hebrew verbs in current usage,
253 tables, and a comprehensive index.

Learn Hebrew
by Isaac Yetiv
#38501p. Designed for beginners. College
freshman level. Can also be used for selfinstruction. (192 pages)

Fundamentals of Hebrew Grammar

by Reuben Wallenrod and Abraham Aaroni
# 38401p. High school and college text. Systematic review of the basics. (261 pages)

Conversational Hebrew
Hebrew in 10
Minutes a
Day
by Kristine Kershul
#38804p. Designed
for people going to
Israel. Will help
you order meals,
purchase concert
tickets, and ask for
directions
and
nearly anything else you wish, in Hebrew,
while you are traveling. Also offers practical
and cultural tips that will help make your
visit more enjoyable. Includes: Hebrew/
English & English/Hebrew glossaries, flash
cards, cut-out menu guide, and stick-on labels. (132 pages)

The Berlitz Choice: Hebrew

Phrase Book
#38701p. Easy to use. Allows travelers to
communicate in Hebrew without any prior
knowledge. Pocket size (192 pages)

Say It In Hebrew
#38702p. A convenient method for finding
the phrases you need instantly in a compact
book. Over 1,300 numbered and indexed entries, an easy pronunciation transcription,
quick word substitution for every need. Pocket
size (190 pages)

Mastering Hebrew
by Joseph A. Reif and Hanna Levinson
#38812bt. The same course used by the U.S.
Government to train diplomatic personnel. Includes basic conversation, grammar notes, and
review drills. (552 pages and 12/90 minute tapes)

Language/30: Hebrew
#99309bt. Basic conversational course on 2
audio-cassettes and verbatim phrase book.
Offers 80 minutes of guided practice in general conversation, introductions, personal
needs, popular expressions and more!

How the Hebrew Language Grew

by Edward Horowitz
#37809p. All the greatness, the magic, and the
splendor of the Hebrew people and their ethical genius is reflected in the words they used
in telling the story of their lives and their
deeds; to tell how they believed man ought to
walk in love and fear of the one invisible God.
Almost any and every question that can occur
to an intelligent student about the Hebrew
language - its growth, development or structure - is raised and clearly answered here.

Hebrew Writing

Berlitz Hebrew Cassette Pack

Hebrew as its Really Spoken
#82319bt. The 90-minute cassette is clearly
recorded in native-speaking voices and is accompanied by script of the entire text that
includes helpful pronunciation tips. Plus bestselling Berlitz Phrase Book. (192 pages)

Getting by in Hebrew
#99307bt. Book with dialogues, exercises,
word lists, grammar and pronunciation
notes, and handy travel tips, as well as two
long-playing cassettes with pauses for
users responses.
# 38703p. Book only

Everyday Hebrew
by Eliezer Tirkel
#99301bt. Teaches the skills needed to speak,
read and understand modern Hebrew. Includes
four 60-minute audio-cassettes and book.

Fast and Easy Hebrew

Living Language
#99310t. Quick. stress-free introduction to the
basics. This 60-minute audio course features more
than 300 Hebrew essential words and phrases.

Hugos Hebrew in Three Months

Simplified Language Course
#99311bt. Four cassettes and book designed
to give a full working knowledege of Hebrew.
(282 pages)
#38817p. Book only

22 To order call 1-800-583-2476 or visit our web site: www.judaism.com

Beginners
Guide to
Hebrew
Script
by Chaya
Rothstein
#38023p. Popular workbook to develop Hebrew writing skills in a uniform and proper
manner. Two pages are devoted to each letter.
(88 pages)

Art of
Hebrew
Lettering
by L.F. Toby
#39007p. Provides 26 calligraphic,
typographic
and historical
tables on Hebrew lettering and the development of the Aleph-Bet. (48 pages)

Biblical Hebrew Vocabulary Cards

#38902. Set contains 1,000 sequentially numbered cards presenting over 1,200 Hebrew
words on the fronts of cards with English on
the backs and a study guide booklet with
Hebrew and English indexes. Includes all
nouns, adjectives, and verbs appearing at least
25 times in Hebrew Bible, plus frequently
occuring adverbs, prepositions, and particles.

Learn Classical Hebrew

Hebrew Software
Triple Play
Plus

First Hebrew Primer, 3rd Edition

by E. Simon
Completely revised text is designed to teach
the student the skills needed for reading the
Bible in the original Hebrew. Includes simple
explanations of grammar, spelling charts, Biblical quotes, exercises and stories and guided
reading through the book of Ruth. (408 pages)
#38906p
#38907p
#38909p

Primer
Answer Book
Teachers Guide

# 39101. Primer Flashcards Set 1 (Chapters 4-9)

# 39102. Primer Flashcards Set 2 (Chapters 10-19)
# 39103. Primer Flashcards Set 3 (Chapters 20-29)
# 39104. Master Set

The Beginners Dictionary of

Prayerbook Hebrew
by E. Simon
#38901p. A phrase book instead of a standard
dictionary or grammar book, listing the commonly used words and phrases as they appear
in the prayerbook. (80 pages)

Shalom Aleichem
Learn to Read the Hebrew Prayerbook
by Noah Golinkin
#38905p. Leads the beginning student from
the Aleph Bet to fluent reading of the Friday
night service in 12 sessions. (77 pages)

Ayn Keloheynu
Learn to Comprehend the Hebrew
Prayerbook in a New Way
by Noah Golinkin
#38908p. Sequel to Shalom Aleichem. This
book teaches comprehension of selected
prayers of the Shabbat Morning Service. The
layout of the prayer-texts and the consistent
methodology are aimed at making the book
easy to teach and to learn. (127 pages)

Teach Yourself Biblical Hebrew

#38910p. Functional and fun, offers full pronunciation guides, grammar summaries, dialogues, culture notes, vocabulary charts, and
irregular verb tables. Ideal for complete language study from comprehension, to speaking and writing skills, to culture.

Biblical Hebrew
Step by Step Volume 1
by Menahem Mansoor
#38914p. Textbook for learning Biblical Hebrew. Stress on grammatical structure, reading skills, comprehension and vocabulary.
Presented in forty lessons. (254 pages)

Biblical Hebrew
Prayerbook Hebrew The Easy Way
by Joseph Anderson
#38904p. Designed for those who can read the
Hebrew words in the prayerbook but dont
understand their meaning. Hebrew grammar
is simplified and forms a sound basis for further study. (264 pages)
#38911p. Answer Book & Teachers Guide
#39105. Top 100 Hebrew Flashwords
#39106. Sounds of Hebrew Flashcards

Teach Yourself to Read Hebrew

by Simon & Anderson
#37901bt. Most effective self-teaching program for learning to read Hebrew. Consists of
five cassettes and one paperback book. After
completing the ten lessons in the program, the
student should be able to read the siddur, or
the Bible. The cassettes provide the sounds of
each reading excercise. (92 pages)

Step by Step Volume 2

by Menahem Mansoor
#38915p. Textbook for learning Biblical Hebrew. Readings from the Book of Genesis.
Twenty-four lessons. (178 pages)

Practical Grammar for Classical

Hebrew
by J. Wintergreen
#38406h. A text based on the schematics of
Hebrew, enabling the student to gain fluency
with the language first and work out the fine
points of the grammar later. This book is the
model for modern Hebrew language study.
(316 pages)

#93817cdr. One of
the most popular
Hebrew language
CDs on the market.
With its unique automatic speech recognition, youll
learn Hebrew language skills by actually
talking with the computer as you play. Its
filled with dozens of interactive games and
comic strips that teach hundreds of Hebrew words and phrases, plus complete
conversations. In addition, Triple Play Plus
includes a record and playback feature that
lets you compare your voice to recorded
Hebrew-speakers. Windows

Hebrew World
#93827cdr. This fascinating, interactive
CD utilizes advanced phonetic
concepts to teach
modern Hebrew.
You can increase
your vocabulary,
improve your pronunciation, and enhance
your conversational skills. Loaded with beautiful graphics, sound, and music. Windows
and Macintosh

The Hebrew Speaktionary

The Hebrew Speaking Picture Dictionary
#93834cdr. Over 1800 files of sound, pictures
and videos in both Hebrew and English in
alphabetical order. Windows and Macintosh.

Davkawriter
2000
#93823cdr.
Hebrew/English word
processor. Heb/Eng
& Eng/Heb Dictionary/Translator, includes full Tanach
w/nikud and trop, Judaic clip art, graphics tools (invert, emboss),
graphics toolbar, fonts are available for use
in other programs, fonts have nikud and trop.
Windows 95/98/NT

Targumatik
#93821cdr. Translates from Hebrew to English and vice versa! Type a passage of text
or import a document and Targumatik instantly translates, providing a useful first
draft for editing. Also includes a bilingual
dictionary with over 500,000 translations,
synonyms, antonyms, and tables of conjugated verbs. Windows. 3.5 disk

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23

Hebrew and Yiddish

Hebrew Dictionaries
Contemporary

Classical

Oxford English- Hebrew

Hebrew- English Dictionary

The Complete Hebrew-English,

English-Hebrew Dictionary
Five-Volume Set
by Reuven Alcalay
#38205h. The most authoritative Hebrew/
English, English/Hebrew available.
(3,601 pages)

The Concise Alcalay Dictionary

English-Hebrew
by Reuven Alcalay
#38217p. More than a dictionary, displays
many uses of listed words. (725 pages)

Websters New World Hebrew

Dictionary/ Transliterated
edited by Hayim Baltsan
#38213p. A landmark Hebrew/ English and
English/Hebrew dictionary which provides
both Hebrew print and its phonetic, American
English transliteration for over 50,000 entries.
Entries are listed according to their English
transliteration, and include grammatical information. Idioms are included, as well as
indications of colloquialisms and slang. Common variations in pronunciation are listed
with the standard pronunciation. (827 pages)

The New BantamMegiddo Hebrew

& English
Dictionary
by Drs. Reuven Sivan and
Edward Levenston
#38201p. Includes 46,000
entries (693 pages)

Comprehensive
Shilo Pocket
Dictionary
edited by Zevi
Scharstein
#38202p. Includes over
30,000 entries, (768 pages)

by Yaccov Levy
#38216h/38219p. This dictionary is intended
for users of contemporary Hebrew, especially
university students, high school pupils and
English-speaking learners of Hebrew who wish
to consult a comprehensive up-to-date dictionary. Hebrew speakers seeking to enlarge their
active English vocabulary will also benefit from
this dictionary. The rich selection of words,
collections and idioms is drawn from both
spoken and written sources. ( 1,170 pages)

Inbal EnglishHebrew,
Hebrew-English
Dictionary
#38208h. Popular Israeli dictionary with
over 80,000 entries.
Emphasis on the modern use of Hebrew and
vernacular, including
words usually not found in a dictionary. (1,319
pages)
#38209p Abridged pocket edition (546 pages)
#38210p Mini-dictionary (410 pages)

Modern Hebrew-English Dictionary

by Avraham Zilkha
#38204p. Over 20,000 entries. Special attention is given to the language of the media,
with vocabulary that is likely to be found in
newspapers, journals, and contemporary fiction. Verbs have been listed by stem and not
by root, so that no advanced knowledge of
Hebrew grammar is needed. Includes table of
common abbreviations. (310 pages)

Pocket
Compact Up-to-Date Dictionary
Hebrew-English/English-Hebrew
by Shimon Zilberman
#38220p. Over 50,000 entries. (604 pages)

Ben Yehuda's
Pocket HebrewEnglish/EnglishHebrew
Dictionary
#38207p. From the eightvolume Dictionary and
Thesaurus of the Hebrew
Language by the father of
Modern Hebrew; over
30,000 entries (626 pages)

24 To order call 1-800-583-2476 or visit our web site: www.judaism.com

Multi Dictionary
Bilingual Learners Dictionary
Hebrew-Hebrew-English
English -Hebrew
by Edna Lauden and Liora Weinbach
#38212p. Also known as Rav Milon, a dictionary for the serious Hebrew student. Comprised of a wide range of entries, expressions
and idioms. Information includes definitions
and examples, words listed by subject, verb
tables, medical terms. (916 pages)

Maskilon I
Hebrew-English Dictionary of Verb-Roots
by Abraham Solomonick and David Morrison
#38218h. Each of the 1640 verb roots is listed
with every word derived from that root with
its English translation. (790 pages)

Maskilon II
Practical Hebrew Grammar with Exercises
by Abraham Solomonick
#38407h. (257 pages)

Visual
Dictionary
English-Hebrew
#38214h. Contains
thousands of detailed illustrations and clearly
identified terminology
that allows for quick
access to more than
3,000 objects. Allows
the user to look up the
word from a picture or find the picture from
the word. Includes illustrations and terminology for vegetables and animals, human
beings, food, clothing, transportation, music,
sports, health, geography, communications,
office supplies and equipment, measuring devices and much more. (775 pages)

New Illustrated
Hebrew English
Dictionary for
Young Readers
by Nathan Goldberg
#38309p. Verbs, adverbs, conjunctions and
other parts of speech are
used in illustrative sentences. Although primarily for young readers, is beneficial to all
beginning students of Hebrew. (263 pages)

Zacks Practical Dictionary

Hebrew-Hebrew
by Adina Cohen
#38103p. (1,064 pages)

Yiddish
Dictionaries

Music

Modern English-Yiddish,
Yiddish-English Dictionary

Mamaloshen
#96701t/96708cd.
A best seller. The
inimitable Mandy
Patinkin performs
passionate and
theatrical renditions of the most
famous Yiddish songs of all time. Plus, Take
Me Out To The Ball Game, G-d Bless America,
Maria and Supercalifragilistic all in Yiddish!

by Uriel Weinreich
#39401p. For those of us who work occasionally with Yiddish, or those of us who read
Yiddish simply for pleasure.... Irving
Howe (848 pages)

English-Yiddish, Yiddish-English
Dictionary
by D. M. Harduf
#39402p. Handy pocket dictionary with thousands of the most commonly used Yiddish words.
(361 pages)

An Evening At the Yiddish

Theater
Joys of Yiddish

Transliterated English-Yiddish,
Yiddish-English Dictionary
by D. M. Harduf
#39406p. User-friendly English-Yiddish, Yiddish-English transliterated dictionary. One
of the most popular Yiddish dictionaries.
(655 pages)

Learn Yiddish
The Yiddish Teacher
Der Yiddisher Lerer
by Hyman E. Goldin
#39601p. Primer on the fundamentals of the
Yiddish language. (140 pages)

Language/30: Yiddish
#39602bt. Basic conversational course on two
audiocassettes and verbatim phrase book. Offers 80 minutes of guided practice in general
conversation, introductions, personal needs,
popular expressions and more!

by Leo Rosten
#41606p. Classic which weds scholarship to
humor and redefines 'dictionary' to reflect the
heart and soul of a people through their language, illuminating each entry with marvelous stories and epigrams.(534 pages)

The Dictionary of Popular

Yiddish Words, Phrases, and
Proverbs
by Fred Kogos
#39408p. This fascinating, useful, sometimes riotously funny collection of colloquialisms, proverbs, curses, maxims, and ribald expressions will
provide you access to the riches of one of the
world's most remarkable languages and a means
to enjoy it and apply it in everyday life. (224 pages)

An Introduction to the Yiddish Language

& to Jewish Life Culture
by Uriel Weinreich
# 39302h. (399 pages)

Learning Yiddish in Easy Stages

Instant Yiddish

Third Edition
by Marvin Zuckerman and Marion Herbst
#39606h. Introductory textbook includes the
alphabet, grammar, transliterated useful
words, conversations, proverbs, humor, idioms, songs, and cultural history. (205 pages)

by Fred Kogos
#41603p. Compendium of key words and
phrases in Yiddish. (78 pages)

Yiddish
An Introduction to the Language,
Literature & Culture
by Sheva Zucker
#39303p. Explains Yiddish grammar simply
and straightforwardly, with useful exercises .
Uses literary material for teaching vocabulary
and grammar. (285 pages)
#39304t. 8 cassettes (Sold separately)

A Yiddish
Delight
# 9 6 7 1 7 t /
96718cd. Paul
Zim with The
New York City
Klezmer Jewish
Jazz Band. The
funniest Yiddish
songs ever recorded, including Rumania, Rumania; Abi Gezunt; The Chicken Song

Zing Along With Cindy Paley

#96720t / 96719cd. Offers 19 gems from the rich
treasures of Yiddish folk music. These songs are
a precious legacy, whose love of life and warmth
of heart are gifts to the next generation.

1001 Yiddish
Proverbs
by Fred Kogos
#41602p. Revealing
picture of the wisdom,
philosophy and humor of the Jews. Proverbs fit every situation
and are translated into
flavorful English.(168
pages)

College Yiddish

Tony Award Nominee, Bruce Adler, the star

of Those Were the Days performs a nostalgic
and fun-filled program of 16 songs.
#96711t / 96712cd Volume 1
#96713t / 96714cd Volume 2

L'Chaim: A Toast to Life

#96721t / 96722cd. Leon Lissek's vibrant tenor
voice, coupled with some lively wind arrangements, are a perfect combination to perform
the 14 Yiddish songs in this both charming,
and sparkling, concert.

Songbooks

A Dictionary of
Yiddish Slang
and Idioms
by Fred Kogos
#41604p. Collection of
colloquialisms, proverbs, curses, wise
maxims, and slang expressions. (168 pages)

World's Most
Popular Jewish
Songs
The best-loved Jewish
songs for piano and
voice; the songs everyone knows and
loves. From Israeli
folk songs, to the most
essential holiday
melodies, to Yiddish
favorites, to contemporary hits. These songs
are culled from the best selling International
Jewish Songbook.
#87135p Volume 1
#87136p Volume 2

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