In April 2014, the San Diego Jewish Journal ran a feature story titled "The Best in Hebrew Education" - and it was about the very same teaching method that powers Language Bazaar today.
The article, written by Alanna Berman, highlighted how Ner Tamid's Sam S. Bloom Learning Center was using a revolutionary Hebrew curriculum that had students excited, engaged, and actually succeeding in their Hebrew studies.
What Made the Headlines
Reporter Alanna Berman walked through the hallways at Ner Tamid while Hebrew school was in session and heard something uncommon in Hebrew education: excitement, laughter, joy - students who were understanding Hebrew and really succeeding in their study.
"Human beings are driven by meaning: by engaging in something in a meaningful way and finding patterns and playing games, we see that learning is actually really fun."
- Liat Hoffman, Director of Education at Ner Tamid
The Method Behind the Magic
The program featured in the article is "Hebrew Today", designed by UC San Diego professor Zev Bar-Lev. The core idea behind it is Sheltered Initiation Language Learning (the SILLy method) - and it's the same methodology that powers Language Bazaar.
Here's what makes it different from traditional Hebrew education:
- Creative, spontaneous Hebrew speaking and reading - not rote memorization
- Targeted vocabulary taught with puzzles, games, and associations
- Sight-word teaching - students learn associations with Hebrew letters before they even know the letter names
- Skip reading and skip listening - building confidence from the very first lesson
Real Results
The article highlighted some remarkable outcomes:
- Each year of the five-year program covers about 36 Hebrew vocabulary words
- By graduation, students have a 136-word vocabulary in Hebrew
- These are words students can actually use in simple conversations and to read from the Torah
- Students went from being disengaged to saying they love Hebrew school
"There is nothing more frustrating as an educator to watch as someone is continually being turned off, and in the prior method of teaching Hebrew, it was very discouraging to the students... but with this program, many of the students are now saying that they love Hebrew school."
- Liat Hoffman
From Classroom to App
The Language Bazaar app brings this same proven methodology to anyone who wants to learn Hebrew - whether you're a child in a classroom or an adult learning on your own.
The interactive lessons you'll find here use the same principles that made headlines in the San Diego Jewish Journal:
- Activity-driven learning with games, puzzles, and matching exercises
- Letter-sound associations that make Hebrew letters memorable
- Progressive vocabulary building with real, usable words
- Speaking practice from the very first lesson
"It's fun, it's engaging and it's meaningful."
- Liat Hoffman
Try It Yourself
The same method that the San Diego Jewish Journal called "The Best in Hebrew Education" is now available as an interactive app. The first 5 lessons are completely free.