Who knew? I didn’t. When I signed up for the Mini-Ulpan Aleph at the JCC, it was to learn some basic Hebrew for my upcoming trip to Israel. What I was treated to was a gourmet delight of a Hebrew language course taught by Rahel Halabe. For five days, 9 a.m.to 2:30 p.m. , our class was entertained, educated and encouraged by a brilliant, fun and patient teacher. The seamless blend of Rahel’s teaching strategies and her natural “smarts” enabled the students to learn easily and quickly. I was truly shocked to hear myself speaking Hebrew after such a short period of time. Granted it was all in the present tense… and with the occasional use of a verb and adjective cheat sheet. Hopefully next summer I’ll proceed to the next level of immersion and learn the past tense .Then I can tell people all about my 2009 fall trip to Israel.
Cynthia Ramsay – The Jewish Independent: August mini-ulpan offers an intensive language-learning experience.
Thanks Rahel for the wonderful and enthusiastic teaching ..
Learning Hebrew by your method really works.
I now feel that I can speak very basic Hebrew. The light bulb has finally gone on!…. I would recommend the Ulpan as the way to learn how to actually speak Hebrew.
The course was excellent …
As with all the Mini –Ulpanim taught by Rahel, the course preparation and materials are excellent. The lessons are varied, stimulating and fun. A vast amount of material is offered and the course material is a wonderful resource to keep learning from once the Ulpan is finished. Rahel has a unique style of teaching and with the variety of material offered (songs, stories, grammar and conversation), there is never a chance to get bored. I really like the mini-ulpan being held one day every week for five weeks. It gives a chance to absorb some of the material during the week before the next class. Rahel is an exceptional teacher and I look forward to learning from her again later this year. In my experience she is a one-of-a-kind teacher, and we are truly blessed to have her teaching at the Vancouver JCC.
It was a great way to take a big step toward learning Hebrew.
This was a truly wonderful learning experience, as close to the real thing as we could have outside Israel.
…I continue to speak Hebrew on and off. I found that my understanding of verbs and ability to decipher possible roots really improved.
Both teachers were extremely helpful, patient and fun…
Clear presentation, knowledgeable. Great interpersonal atmosphere, enthusiastic instructors.