Hebrew Step-By-Step By Rae Antonoff, MAJE Distributed by JLearnHub BETA VERSION licensed for distribution through August 1, 2017 Page 1 Rae Antonoff www.jlearnhub.com
ק Lesson 15: Koof Meet your next ק letter, the Koof! Koof makes the same sound as the English letter K Here s the Koof in several different fonts and handwritings as you can see, they all look like a key and go below the bottom line, even if other parts of the letter are slightly different! קקקקק קקק קקקקקקקקק Circle the long part of the Key of each Koof that goes below the line! The first one has been done for you! Page 2
Now you can read the name of the Friday night service: ק ב ל ת ש ב ת This first word literally means receiving but is also translated as welcoming. Why do you think this is a good name for the Friday night service? You can also read the word for soup: מ ר ק In some families, it s a weekly tradition to have before מ ר ק Does your family.ק going to synagogue for ב ל ת ש ב ת?ש eat on ב ת מ ר ק Practice reading the Hebrew below aloud: ק ל ק ו ק ר ק א ק ש ק ר א 1 ר ק cold ד ק ל ק מ ר ק ק ש ה he read (past) straw/hay line simple/easy 2 lacquer/nail polish 3 ק ר ב ק ה ל ק ש ר hard/difficult ד ו ק א soup thin only just/only connected community battle Page 3
Writing Practice Make the letter Koof with two pen strokes: Some people write the Koof like this: Feel free to use whichever shape is easier for you! Now you try: trace the letter across the first line, then copy it all the way across the second line on your own! Copy the words at least 3 times each: easy/ simple soup community please/ you re welcome Page 4
Read Aloud! Read the Hebrew below. Lines separate the syllables for you on the top see if you can figure out the syllables on your own on the bottom! ק ש ר ק ר connected cold ק ד ו ק א ל ה ת Silent Sh va ת Sounded Sh va 1 2 מ מ תק ק רא ב ב ק ש ה מ ר ק sweeten simple/easy just/only he read 3 4 Have you heard this word before? It means please and ק ש ר ק ר ק ל ה welcome! you re soup 5 ד ו ק א מ ר ק ק ר א ב ב ק ש ה מ מ ת ק line simple/easy soup cold connected just/only 6 7 sweeten please/you re welcome Page 5
Lesson 16: Yud י Meet your next י letter, the Yud! Yud (usually) makes the same sound as the English letter Y Here s the Yud in several different fonts and handwritings as you can see, they re all a tiny letter in the top half of the usual writing space. Sometimes the top horizontal line disappears, and it s even tinier: י י י י י י י י י י י י י י י י י Circle the big empty space below each Yippity-Yappity tiny Yud! The first one has been done for you! Page 6
Now you can read the Hebrew word for hand: י ד And one of God s י ה nicknames, Whenever you hear the word Halleluyah, that s actually a compound of two words: י ה + (praise) Hallelu is not God s full name it s one of the shorter nicknames י ה some Jewish texts and people use to refer to God. Practice reading the Hebrew below aloud: י ד י ה י מ ה י ד ה מ י ה 1 (girl s name) her hand toward the sea hand (God) י ר ד ה י ה רא י ב י ד י ש ר 2 in (a) hand straight / honest he/it was he went/fell down he feared י אל ל ה י ב ש ד י ר ל י ד 3 come/let s go (slang) he dried tenant/resident next to Page 7
Writing Practice Make the letter Yud with two small lines: (Make sure the vertical one is short enough that it doesn t look like a vav!) Some people also write Yud like this: Feel free to use whichever shape is easier for you! Now you try: trace the letter across the first line, then copy it all the way across the second line on your own! Copy the words at least 3 times each: he fell/ went down straight/ honest next to you dried Page 8
Read Aloud! Read the Hebrew below. Lines separate the syllables for you on the top see if you can figure out the syllables on your own on the bottom! herד י ד ה י ב י ד hand in (a) hand hand 1 2 ה י ה י שר ת יר י ב ש ת straight/honest he/it was 3 ל י ד ל ה you dried י אל tourist 4 come/let s go (slang) next to י שר י ד ה י ד ה י ה 5 he/it was hand straight/honest her hand 6 ב י ד י אל ל ה ל י ד next to come/let s go (slang) in (a) hand 7 ת י ר י ב ש ת you dried tourist Page 9
Lookalike Letters In the grid of Hebrew letters below, put a circle around every Yud and a square around every Vav! Each row is in a different font look at the length to tell the difference! י ב כ י ו ו כ ר י ו ו ו י ה ר י ו כ ו י ד י ו ה י ר ו ו י כ כ ו י ד ו ו כ י י ו י מ כ י ו ד י י ו ר ו ר י ה ו כ י ו ל י כ ו ו ב ו י כ ר י ו י ד ו י ו כ י ה ו י ו ה י ו ד י ר ו י ו Page 10
Meet your next vowel, the chirik: The chirik makes an EE sound. Lesson 17: Chirik In English, this vowel s sound is called the long E you see it in words like beep, see, be, tree, and tons more! (But the Chirik never makes the short E as in bell that s a different vowel which we ll learn later!) Now you can read the word for mom have you heard this word before? א מ א Try reading the Hebrew below aloud: א ה ר ד ה ל א מ א א ש ה 1 woman mom ה כ ה ד ו ד ה ל ה תק ו ה 2 hope 3 מ ל ה halo (boy s name) he waited מ ק ו ה מ ק ר א ד ב ה ritual bath reading slander circumcision Page 11
The chirik by itself is called a small vowel, but the vowel also has a full form: י Like the letter Y in English, sometimes Yud sounds like a consonant, and sometimes it sounds like a vowel. As a general rule: If the Yud has its own vowel, it makes a consonant-y sound. If the Yud doesn t have its own vowel, it s actually part of the vowel right before it. Yud as Consonant: Yud as Part of a Vowel: י ד ב ר ית hand covenant Both the full and small chirik vowels makes the same sound: EE. You could think of the small chirik as the E in be, and the full chirik as the Es in see. Different spelling, same sound! Page 12
Now you can read the Hebrew word for ש מ י name : my A boy named Avi might introduce himself by saying, ש מ י א ב י! and a girl named Mirah might introduce herself by saying, רה! מי ש מ י How would you introduce yourself using this word? (Remember, there s no is/am/are in Hebrew!) Try reading the Hebrew words below which have a mix of both small and full chirik vowels! ר ב י א מ א א יש א ש ה woman man mom my rabbi ב ל י ה יא יד י א ו יר ד ת י 1 2 religious air/atmosphere my hand she without 3 א ב י ד ב ר ה ק ה יל ה ק ד יש sanctification prayer community she spoke my father 4 ה ת ק ו ה א ב יב ב ר ית ל ב י my heart covenant/contract spring the hope 5 ש יר ה ש ב י ר צ ית ק ר יא ה reading you wanted sit! (command) song/poem Page 13
צ Lesson 18: Tzadee Meet your next צ letter, the Tzadee! Tzadee doesn t have one English letter that matches it exactly: we write out its sound with a combination of two letters, T+Z (TZ) or T+S (TS). In Italian words, the same sound is made with two Zs, like in pizza. Here s the Tzadee in several different fonts and handwritings as you can see, they all have those slices of pizza in them, even if other aspects of the letter are slightly different! צצצ צצצצצ צצצצצצצצצ Draw the crust on the piece of pizza on the left side of each TZadee! The first one has been done for you! Page 14
Now you can read a Hebrew word that you probably recognize: צה מ מ צ ה During what holiday do we eat מ צ ב And the word for situation :? which, in modern Hebrew, is also used as part ב? of a common צ conversational ה מ :questionה מ It literally means What s the situation? but it s used the same way as What s up? in English! Practice making the צ sound by reading the lines below out loud! ת צ צ צ צת צה צ צ 1 צ ב א צ מ א צ ל ה צ ד צ א 2 army yearned he grilled/toasted side leave! (command) מ צ ב מ צ א ר צ ה מצ ה 3 he wanted Passover flatbread he found situation 3 צ ד י ה צ יל ר צ ית י צ ד ק ה economic justice I wanted he rescued/saved (letter name) Page 15
Writing Practice Make the letter Tzadee with a pizza slice angle and a short line (like steam rising from it): Now you try: trace the letter across the first line, then copy it all the way across the second line on your own! Copy the words at least 3 times each: Passover flatbread army he wanted he grilled/ toasted Page 16
Read Aloud! Read the Hebrew below. Lines separate the syllables for you on the top see if you can figure out the syllables on your own on the bottom! 1 צ ד י צ ב א ק צת צ ל ת ה army (letter name) 2 she grilled/toasted ר צ תה צ ד קה a little bit 3 economic justice she wanted צ ב א 4 ק צת צ ל ת ה she grilled/toasted a little bit army 5 צ ד י צ ד ק ה ר צ ת ה she wanted economic justice (letter name) Page 17
Match-a-Rhyme Read the Hebrew on the right out loud, then the Hebrew on the left. Match the ones that rhyme! ה ב ת ל ב ת (For instance, would match to.) 1 צ ל ה י ד י my hand A he grilled/ toasted ק ה ל community B צ ד י י מ ה sea C צ ב י כ ל ה bride D צ מ א ש ב י (command) E צ ה ל toward the sit! 2 3 army 4 5 (letter name) he yearned he rejoiced in a ב ד ק ה second A ר צ ת ה י צ ר ת created B מ צ א ת י צ את out/exited C צ ד ק ה ד צ ת ה hopped D ר צ ית א צ ר ת ה צ ית kindled/lit E you you went she you 12 3 economic 45 you she wanted you found justice you wanted safeguarded Page 18
Speed Read! Time yourself reading the Hebrew below out loud at least twice. What s the best time you can get? 1 ב צ ל ק צ ת מ צ ה Passover flatbread a little bit onion 2 צ ב א כ צ ד א צ ר he safeguarded like a side army 3 ר צ ת ר צ ת ה מ צ א he found she wanted you ran 4 צ ל ה צ ד ק ה מ צ ב 5 צ ב ר צ ד ק ת רה situation economic justice he grilled/toasted א צ she safeguarded you were correct sabra (cactus-fruit) 6 צ ד י מ צ את ר צ ית you wanted you found (letter name) Time Log: 1 2 3 4 Page 19
נ כ נ Meet your next letter, the Nun! Nun makes the same sound as the English letter N Lesson 19.1: Nun נ Here s the Nun in a bunch of different fonts and handwritings as you can see, they re all half as wide as the Chaf (which would otherwise look very similar) and its Narrow foot is always Next to the ground! (Sometimes the top line disappears, but the base line on the bottom is always there.) נ נ נ נ נ נ נ נ נ נ נ נ נ נ נ Circle the Narrow foot of each Nun! The first one has been done for you! Page 20
Now you can read the Hebrew word for I as in I am learning to read Hebrew! א נ י So now you know two ways to introduce yourself in Hebrew: ש מ י א נ י Practice reading the נ in the lines below out loud! and This one is actually more common in modern Hebrew. מנ ה נד נ י נד נא נ נ 1 portion wanderer please ל נ ה ב נ נ ה א נ ה דנ י 2 (boy or girl s name) (girl s name) stayed overnight 3 נ ב יא נ ת נ ה ש נ ה ב נ י my son year she gave prophet 4 כ ו נ ה ב ינ ה נ ינ ה מ ד ינ ה country/state (girl s name) wisdom/understanding focus/intention Page 21
Writing Practice Make the letter Nun with 3 lines, the top one a little shorter than the bottom one: Some people also write Nun like this: Feel free to use whichever shape is easier for you! Now you try: trace the letter across the first line, then copy it all the way across the second line on your own! Copy the words at least 3 times each: year and please she gave Page 22
Lookalike Letters In the grid of Hebrew letters below, put a circle around every Nun and a square around every Chaf! Each row is in a different font look at the width to tell the difference! נ כ ב כ נ נ ר כ ב נ כ נ כ ב מ נ כ ה ב כ ת כ נ כ ב נ ד כ נ כ מ נ כ ב ל נ נ כ ה כ נ כ ב כ מ נ ר כ כ נ כ נ ב כ נ ה כ ב נ כ ב כ נ כ ר כ ב נ כ ד נ מ כ נ כ ב כ ת נ כ כ נ ה ו נ כ ב ה כ נ Page 23
The Nun changes shape whenever it s at the end of a word the bottom line drops down below the writing line: This new shape is called a Nun Sofit or Final Nun. Here s the Final Nun in a bunch of different fonts and handwritings next to its regular shape as you can see, the base drops down below the line, but otherwise, they look like the same letter! נ ן נן נן נן ן Lesson 19.2: Final Nun נן נן נן נן נן נן נן נן נן נן נן Circle the dropped base line of each Final Nun! The first one has been done for you! Page 24
If you think about it, a final letter in Hebrew is only a little different from a capital letter in English: A = a English letters change to uppercase at the beginning of sentences or names/proper nouns, but it s still the same letter as the lowercase version just a second shape! Read the following lines of Hebrew ןwith out loud: ד ן מ ן נן נן נ ת ן דין ל ן 1 he gave he stayed overnight judgement from judged ל ב ן מ ש כ ן ק נ ק ן מ ב ין 2 canteen he understands dwelling white נ ב ין ל מ ד ן י ון ר נ ן 3 we will understand scholar Greece sang/rejoiced Page 25
Writing Practice Make the letter Final Nun with 2 lines, a short top line and a long vertical line that goes past the bottom: Some people also write the Final Nun like this: As long as it s clearly going past the bottom line! Now you try: trace the letter across the first line, then copy it all the way across the second line on your own! Copy the words at least 3 times each: he gave white and judged dwelling Page 26
Read Aloud! Read the Hebrew below. Lines separate the syllables for you on the top see if you can figure out the syllables on your own on the bottom! 1 ר נ ן תן נ נ ב יא מ ב ין he gave he sang/rejoiced 2 ק נ ק ן ד ן he understands ל מ prophet 3 מ ב י ב נ נה scholar canteen sheנ ה understands 4 5 נ ת ן ר נ ן מ ב ין נ נ ה he understands ן ב he נ ק sang/rejoiced יא ק he gave 6 נ ב מ ב ינ ה she understands canteen ל מ ד ן prophet scholar 7 Page 27
Count-A-Sound Count the number of times you see a Hebrew letter in each line that makes the same sound as the English sound(s). (Don t be fooled by lookalike letters that don t sound alike!) The first one has been done for you as an example! ב י נ ו ן כ נ ב ן י ו נ כ N 1 ן ו ק י ב ו ה נ ן ו ר ב V 2 ב כ ו ן ב ה כ כ ו נ כ CH 3 (guttural) נ ב כ ן ו נ ן ה ן נ ו י N 4 ב נ י ו ב ב כ ב ן נ ו ר V 5 ו נ ן נ כ ב ה ן ו נ י מ N 6 כ נ ן ב כ נ ו ב ר כ ה CH 7 (guttural) כ ב ו ן כ ב ן נ ו ר ב כ V 8 ן ב נ ו ב כ נ כ ר י ו ן N 9 How many days does the Torah say the Israelite people waited for Moses to return from Mt. Sinai? Add up all the numbers (including the sample) to find out! Page 28
Speed Read! Time yourself reading the Hebrew below out loud at least twice. What s the best time you can get? 1 א נ י י ו ן י י ן wine Greece I/me 2 ת ל ין ו נ ת ן ה ד ין the court/judge and he gave you will stay overnight 3 ל ב ן נ ת נ ת ל א ן to where? you gave White 4 א יל ן נ ת נ ת י נ צ ן flower bud I gave tree 5 ה י י ן מ ת נ ה י ב ין he will understand gift the wine 6 ה ר ן ו ש נ נ ת ם י ש ן he slept and you will teach them (biblical city Abraham s birthplace) Time Log: 1 2 3 4 Page 29
ט Lesson 20: Tet Meet your ט next letter, the Tet! Tet makes the same sound as the English letter T Here s the Tet in several different fonts and handwritings as you can see, they have a hole in the Top, even if other parts of the letter are slightly different! טטט טטטטט טטטטטטטטט Circle the hole in the Top of the Tent in each Tet! The first one has been done for you! Page 30
Now you can read the name of the fringed prayer shawl many Jews wear when they pray: ט ל ית ט ן And the ק adjective נ ה short/small: ק ט The fringes of ט ל ית the are called צ יצ ית This version of the word describes a boy. This version of the word describes a girl. Practice reading the ט in the Hebrew below aloud: ט ר י טש ט יר טל טה 1 fresh flew dew 2 מ ט ל ט ק ט ת ט ט ק ט י tactical tiny magic trick wobbled 3 ש ט ר מ ט ה ט ל ית קט ן small (m) prayer shawl bed bill/bank note 4 מ ט ר ק ט נ ה ל א ט מ ט ר ה purpose/goal slowly small rainstorm Page 31
Writing Practice Make the letter Tet with a short angled stroke and a U: Some people also write Tet like this: Feel free to use whichever shape is easiest for you! Now you try: trace the letter across the first line, then copy it all the way across the second line on your own! Copy the words at least 3 times each: small (m) fresh bed prayer shawl Page 32
Read Aloud! Read the Hebrew below. Lines separate the syllables for you on the top see if you can figure out the syllables on your own on the bottom! bטed 1 ט ל ה מ ש ט ר ט מן ט ל ית ל ת Silent Sh va ת Sounded Sh va bill/bank note dew heט hid/concealed slowlyא 2 3 4 ט י ל ה נ ט ה צ י ט ה planting ט (seeds) ט ל מ quotation 5 ט מ ן ל ית bed ט ט Dew ל א heר hid/concealed 6 ש ט צ יט ט ה slowly יל ה bill/bank נ ט note 7 quotation planting (seeds) Page 33
Soundalike Matching Read the Hebrew on the right out loud, then the Hebrew on the left. Match the ones that sound the same but are spelled differently. Circle the difference! (For instance, ר ו would match to ר ב and the second letter would be circled.) 1 bed מ ט ה ת מ ן A ט מ ן מ ט ר ת י ר ק ט ן ו ט ל ל א ט ש ק ט נ ט ש נ ט ה ק ת ן B ט י ר C מ ת ר D מ ת ה E נ ט א A נ ת ש B ל א ת C ו ת ל D ש כ ט E 2 he hid/ concealed 3 rainstorm 4 tourist 5 1 small (m) and dew 2 slowly 3 4 5 was was calm/ relaxed he left/ abandoned predisposed to Page 34
Lookalike Letters In the grid of Hebrew letters below, put a circle around every Tet & a square around every Mem! Each row is in a different font reviewing the Silly Hebrew Tricks may help you recognize them all! ט ו מ ט ט ב מ ה מ ט מ א ט ד מ ט ר ט ל מ ט ה מ מ ט צ ט מ ט ל מ ט כ מ ט ט צ ט מ ב ט מ מ ב ט ר מ ט נ מ מ ט ה מ ט מ ל ר מ ט ט מ צ ה מ ט כ ט מ מ מ ט מ כ נ מ ט מ א ט ד צ מ ט כ ר מ ט ת מ Page 35
Reverse It Write out Hebrew that sounds the same as the English on the left. The first one has been done for you as an example! With soundalike letters, either one can be correct for this exercise! TZATEER 1 REEVAH 2 KAKEER 3 RATZ TAH 4 BAKAR 5 TEETAL 6 TZARAD 7 SHAKAR TA 8 AVATZ TA 9 Vowels Letters א ב/ב ד ה ו ט י כ/כ ל מ נ/ן צ ק ר ש ת Page 36
Speed Read! Time yourself reading the Hebrew below out loud at least twice. What s the fastest time you can get? 1 מ ט ה ט ל ית ט ר י fresh prayer shawl bed 2 ל א ט נ ט יל ה ק ט ן 3 ט מ ן ט ק ט י ט small (m) planting (seeds) slowly מ ק ל shelter Tactical he hid/concealed 4 מ ט ר ק ט נ ה נ ט ש he left/abandoned small (f) rainstorm 5 ש ט ר מ ט ר ה ל ט ל to dew purpose/goal bill/bank note 6 ר ט ט ה ב יט ה ש ב ט (name of a Hebrew month) she looked at he trembled/shook Time Log: 1 2 3 4 Page 37
Vocab Bonus You ve met a few new Hebrew words lately write the Hebrew word next to the picture of what it means using the Word List at the bottom! (Look back through the packet if you have trouble remembering any of them!) WORD LIST מ צ ה מ ר ק י ד א נ י ט ל ית Page 38
ה ת ו י נ ן מ ט צ Name Recognition Write each Hebrew letter s English name next to it you have a Name List at the bottom to help you with spelling! One has been done for you as an example! כ כ ב ב ל ר ד ק ש א Name List Alef Bet Vet Daled Hei Vav Tet Yud Kaf Chaf Lamed Mem Nun Final Nun Tzadee Koof Reish Shin Tav Bonus: Point out the Silly Hebrew Trick for each letter! Page 39
Packet 4 Reading Review Time yourself to see how long it takes you to read this whole page. It s okay if your first few times are really slow! When your time is as fast as you think you can get it, read this page to a teacher to earn your Packet 4 Award! 1 ט ל ית א ר צ ה מ ר ק צ ב soup יט ה מ toward the land ה ב ב prayerט shawl 2 ש 3 ה י ית י א ר צ י אט situation ל she looked at (a Hebrew month) ב א slowly ה א down-to-earth נ ת ן צ ד ק I was 4 ו י י ן Dad את economic justice ר י מ צ and he צ gave 5 מ ב ט י צ wineא you found ט ן ב ש Egyptian 6 ק he went out/exited in/during Sh vat (a Hebrew month) small (m) Time Log: 1 2 3 4 Page 40
This award certifies that 4 has completed Packet 4 in the Hebrew Step-By-Step program, now knows sixteen letters: א ב/ב ד ה ו ט י כ/כ ל מ נ/ן צ ק ר ש ת five vowels: and is ready to learn more in Packet 5! Teacher Signature: Student Signature: ד Page 41