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Finding your way around Twebrew School

New to Twebrew School? View our introductory video here . To receive a copy of our corresponding textbook, the Reishith Binah, click here . If you're currently enrolled in one of our synagogue-based Hebrew Reading Crash Courses, you will receive a hard copy of the Reishith Binah directly from your instructor. Below is a complete list of all the video lessons in order, as well as links to the "Treat" where you learn more about the letters discussed in each video. Lessons 1 & 2: Video | Aleph Treat | About the Vowels Lessons 3 & 4: Video | Bet and Vet Treat Lessons 5 & 6: Video | Mem Treat Lesson 7: Video | Reish Treat Lesson 8: Video | Hey Treat Lesson 9: Video | Ayin Treat Lessons 10 & 11: Video | Daled Treat Lesson 12: Video | Mem Treat Lessons 14 & 15: Video | Lamed Treat Lessons 16 & 17: Video | Gimmel Treat Lesson 18: Video | About the Vowels Lessons 19 & 20: Video | Tav/Sav Treat Lessons 21 & 2...

The Hebrew Name Matthew

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(Are you looking for our Twebrew School Treats about the Hebrew alphabet or our Hebrew Instructional videos? Click here for a directory!) Click here to hear Ma’tit’ya’hoo pronounced Matthew is another name whose popularity is based on Christianity but is actually the Greek form of a Hebrew name, Mattityahu. The name means “Gift of God.” There is really only one famous Mattityahu in early Jewish tradition, and he is not in the Hebrew Bible. Rather, Mattityahu is the first hero in the story of Chanukah and the Maccabees. A High Priest, descended from the Hasmonean line, Mattityahu lived in the city of Modi’in with his five sons. Mattityahu started the rebellion against the Syrian-Greeks when he refused to sacrifice a pig to a Greek god and slew the Jew who volunteered to do so. Copyright © 2011 National Jewish Outreach Program. All rights reserved.

The Hebrew Name John

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(Are you looking for our Twebrew School Treats about the Hebrew alphabet or our Hebrew Instructional videos? Click here for a directory!) Click here to hear Yo’chah’nahn pronounced The name John is actually the Greek rendition of the Hebrew name Yochanan (Johanan - a name that today many would assume is German). While the common name John gets its popularity from John the Baptist, Yochanan was actually a common name in early Jewish history. The name translates to “God is gracious.” There are two different Yochanans mentioned in the biblical canon. The first is Yochanan ben Karea, who tried to warn Gedaliah, the Babylonian-appointed governor of Judah, that he was going to be assassinated, After the assassination occurred and Babylonian troops appeared to express the emperors ire, Yochanan ben Korea helped lead the remaining inhabitants of Judea to safety in Egypt (Jeremiah 43:8-22). The second appearance of this name is in the Book of Nechemia. Yochanan ben Yayada is listed as one of ...

An Assortment of Hebrew Girl Names

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(Are you looking for our Twebrew School Treats about the Hebrew alphabet or our Hebrew Instructional videos? Click here for a directory!) Click here to hear Kayla pronounced Click here to hear Gahv’ree’ayl and Gahv’ree’ay’lah pronounced Click here to hear Mee’cha’eyl pronounced Click here to hear Ah’lee’yah pronounced Click here to hear Ah’mahl’yah pronounced In the 2011 list of favorite girl names compiled by the United States Social Security Administration, there are several names that have a connection to Hebrew (or Yiddish) but are not rooted in Jewish history. Here is a brief/explanation of some of these names: Kayla, which ranks 49th on the list of names, has several possible origins. As a Jewish girls name, it is the Yiddish variation of the Hebrew Kelila, meaning a “crown of laurels.” It is also a feminine form of the masculine kalil (which means “complete,” and might be the source of Superman’s real name). It is interesting to note that Kayla is the name of one of the lan...

The Hebrew Name Alexander

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(Are you looking for our Twebrew School Treats about the Hebrew alphabet or our Hebrew Instructional videos? Click here for a directory!) Click here to hear Ah’lec’sahn’dehr pronounced This is certainly not the type of name one typically thinks of as a traditional Jewish name. It may surprise you to learn that the name originated as a way of honoring none other than Alexander the Great. Alexander was in his mid-twenties when he brought his armies to Judea. He had already conquered the Balkans and Asia Minor. Since Alexander was moving into the territory from the north, he first encountered a small converted tribe known as the Samaritans (also referred to as the Cutheans). The Samaritans had accepted much but not all of the Torah; in particular, they rejected the oral law and the Temple worship in Jerusalem. They viewed themselves in competition with the Jews of Judea and therefore told Alexander that the Temple should be destroyed. (They wished that their holy site on Har Gerizim woul...

The Hebrew Name Naomi

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(Are you looking for our Twebrew School Treats about the Hebrew alphabet or our Hebrew Instructional videos? Click here for a directory!) Click here to hear Nah’aw’mee pronounced Overshadowed by the story of her famous daughter-in-law Ruth, Naomi’s story is both poignant and important. She is introduced into the Biblical narrative as the wife of Elimelech, a man of great wealth in the city of Bethlehem (in the territory of Judah). They have two sons. When famine strikes, rather than see his wealth depleted in local relief efforts, Elimelech decides to close up his house in Judea and leave. Elimelech, family in tow, heads to a more prosperous locale: Moab, was a nation with a history of less-than-friendly relations with the Israelites and had recently been at war with the inhabitants of the Judean territory. Their self-imposed exile lasted many years. Long enough, that both of Naomi’s sons took wives from among the Moabites. Long enough, that Elimelech died in exile, as did her two son...

The Hebrew Name Nathan

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(Are you looking for our Twebrew School Treats about the Hebrew alphabet or our Hebrew Instructional videos? Click here for a directory!) Click here to hear Na’tahn pronounced While “good old reliable Nathan” (from Guys and Dolls ) might be a phrase that pops into a few heads when they hear this Biblical name, Nathan was actually an important prophet who lived in the time of King David. When Nathan first appears in II Samuel, King David expresses his concern: “See now, I am living in a house of cedar [an elaborate palace] while the ark of God dwells with the curtain [in a makeshift Tabernacle]” (II Samuel 7:2). Nathan tells him to go with his heart. But, that night, God speaks to Nathan and tells him that King David is not destined to build the Temple. This honor will go to David's son who will succeed him. Nathan’s more dramatic appearance occurs several chapters later. King David had sent a man named Uriah to the fatal front line against the Ammonites and married the wife that U...