Here Is Wonder

In this short blog I will share some tips and suggestions on how you can better support your child's learning of Hebrew. Before we begin, in case you remain unconvinced, I would like to say a little about why I think it is useful for children to have at least some familiarity with this ancient (and modern) language. [Feel free to skip this part if necessary]. Why Hebrew Still Matters In Judaism, the Hebrew language is sometimes referred to as lashon hakodesh - either the “sacred language” or the “holy language.” This phrase has been applied to Hebrew since at least the latter part of the second century CE. A little over 1,800 years later Hebrew continues to be taught, spoken and sung across the world. In many ways the simple fact that Hebrew is in one form or another utilised by almost every Jewish community across the planet makes its study a worthy and valuable pursuit. Almost all Jewish communities (and to a large extent Jewish individuals), whether Liberal or Orthodox, Chinese

The other day I attended a meeting of cross-communal Jewish organisations. At the table were people who held a range of beliefs and practices. One of the challenges of such umbrella groups is how they accommodate such a diverse range of deeply-held religious ideologies. The inherent tensions of this debate were highlighted during an impromptu discussion as to whether a key feature of a website should remain active on Shabbat or if they should be turned off for all users during this 25 hour period. Though the thing itself may seem trivial the issues surrounding it do have wide-reaching implications. I believe people on both sides of the debate are driven primarily by this simple question; "How can my religious practices and beliefs be accommodated and respected by other people?" The key words here is other for it refers, not to the general non-Jewish population, but to other self-identifying Jews. This type of other often prompts a very different kind of conversation; partic