The South Florida Jewish community has the chance to take part in a new cutting-edge adult Hebrew reading crash course, "Read it in Hebrew,"at Chabad Chayil – Highland Lakes Jewish Center.

This flashcard based language course, developed by the Jewish Learning Institute, is intended to have users learn to read Hebrew in only five weeks if they follow the program. According to a press release, it has been tried successfully in more than 150 Chabad houses, camps, and schools.

Rabbi Moishe Kievman, co-director of Chabad Chayil, 2601 NE 211th Terrace in Miami, will conduct the upcoming five session course that begins at 7 p.m. on Oct. 31.

"Many people feel lost in synagogue because they don't know how to read Hebrew," Kievman said. "We have found that learning how to read Hebrew strengthens one's feeling of connection to Judaism in a powerful way. 'Read it in Hebrew' fills a tremendous need."

The course is designed to appeal to people at all levels of Jewish knowledge, including those without any prior experience or background in Jewish learning. It is open to the public as attendees do not have to be affiliated with a particular synagogue.

The course's first two lessons focus on the letters of the Hebrew alphabet while the last three lessons introduce vowels and teach students how to read words. It uses flashcards portraying the letters alongside catchy mnemonics. In addition to reading skills, students get a glimpse into the holiness and depth of the Hebrew language, including brief kabalistic explanations of the Hebrew letters.

"Finally, a fun and easy-to-use program that teaches Jews how to read in the language their ancestors," Kievman said. "If you want to participate in synagogue but find it hard to follow what's going on, this is for you. Language no longer needs to be a barrier between Jewish people and their heritage."

Call 305-770-1919 or visit chabadchayil.org for registration and more information. 

www.sun-sentinel.com/florida-jewish-journal/news/miami-dade/fl-jjdc-coursebrief-1026-20161024-story.html