Through “Become a Hebrew Reader!” you will gain the ability to read and pronounce Hebrew with accuracy and confidence in a step-by-step, hand-in-hand way.
You will go from “I cannot read.” (Isa. 29:12) to “you shall read this law” (Deut. 31:11).
  • The receipt for your purchase will be sent directly to your email account. Please make sure to check your spam or junk partition. 
  • You will receive a welcome email to the program “Become a Hebrew Reader!”
  • The email also contains a link enabling you to join a Whatsapp group and a Telegram group in order to give you personal feedback for your reading. You will be able to record yourself reading, and I will give you personal feedback.
  • You will gain an understanding of the historical periods of Hebrew and so you will be able to realize the difference between the Hebrew of the Bible and other types of Hebrew.
  • You will see the period of time in which Hebrew was a spoken language and not just written (as with people, living languages “behave” differently than dead ones).
  • Understanding of the historical and literary context of Hebrew as a language
  • In this course, you will learn what the different Hebrew conventions are and how they are used. Plus, you can apply past knowledge to this course. Likewise, the knowledge and skills you learn from this course can be used in future studies.

  • You will learn what a grapheme is and how it is the basic unit for the reading of every language.
  • You will have the knowledge of the different graphemes (letters and vowel signs) used in Hebrew writing.
  • Reading Hebrew is predicated on combining letters and vowel signs, so you will be practicing this combination from the very beginning of this journey.
  • You will learn what are the common “Pitfalls” (signs that beginning Hebrew readers tend to mix up) . You will learn how to avoid them so “A thousand may fall at your side, ten thousand at your right hand, but it will not come near you” (Ps. 91:7). 
  • You will learn what digraphs are and how they differ from single graphemes.
  • You will learn the History of the Hebrew Vowel Letters in order to understand the development of digraphs.
  • You will learn the history of the vowel pointing system in order to understand the development of digraphs in Hebrew.
  • You will understand what “Reading Mothers” are and why certain letters were “chosen” to serve as Reading Mothers. By the way, though they are called “Reading Mothers” – they have nothing to do with mothers.
  • You will go over all of the Reading Mothers of the Hebrew and understand which vowels they represent and when.
  • You will learn how to recognize Reading Mothers by reading actual verses from The creation account in the Book of Genesis. You will dive into it to see which letters which of them are “Reading Mothers” and which are actual consonants so you may read them accurately.
  • You will learn about how from Reading Mothers the  representation of vowels in Hebrew developed the system of the Nikkud, the vowels pointing.
  • You will gain an understanding of  the motivation for such a process, when and where did it occur. Thus, you will acquire a better understanding of the development of the representation of the vowels in the Hebrew text.
  • You will look at the different groups of vowels: digraphs, long vowels, short vowels, and reduced vowels and review illustrative instances for each of them.

  • You will learn a traditional way to remember all of the long vowels and all of the short vowels, by memorizing six words. This will in turn, enable you to remember which vowel is short and which is long. This will contribute to the understanding of the structure of Hebrew words leading to the accurate reading of these words.

     

  • The accent markers tell us where the accented syllable is located. You will be able to recognize the accented syllable in each word,  pronounced it correctly which helps to determine  what is the correct meaning related to it ( think of the English example of content versus content).
  • I have added two bonus videos about the use of the “accentuation markers/Te’amim/cantillation notes” in Hebrew. The videos were  taken from “The Q&A Hours” (part of the structure of the course). By watching them you will understand how the Te’amim contribute to the  pronunciation of the Biblical text phonetically, syntactically, and even melodically.
  • Homographic signs (like Jacob and Esau who were identical twins but were very different) are signs that look the same, but mean different things.
  • There are quite a few signs like that in Hebrew. You will learn about each of them and explain the way to distinguish between them.
  • The Qamatz, which was already introduced as an “a” vowel is sometimes pronounced as an “o” vowel (“The Qamatz Qatan”). You will learn to differentiate between the two types of the Qamatz in order to read each Qamatz accurately. This is important for proper pronunciation of the word and the understanding of it.
    As an example the words אָכְלָה and אָכְלָה look the same but can be pronounced in two different ways and mean two different things (“she ate/consumed” and “food”)
  • The Dagesh (דָּגֵשׁ) is a dot or added inside a Hebrew letter. It may indicate the duplication of that consonant (called a “strong dagesh”).
  • We will learn the meaning of this term, which letters may receive the Dagesh, and why the letters receive it in order to be able to divide the word into syllables.
  • You will learn how to distinguish the strong Dagesh, (which indicates duplication) from the weak Dagesh, which looks exactly the same but does not duplicate the consonant.
  • The “šəwāʾ” is a Nikkud (vowel pointing) sign of two vertical dots ( ְ ) placed below a consonant.
  • we will talk about the meaning of the šəwāʾ and the two types of šəwāʾ, the moving šəwāʾ (שְׁוָא נָע) and the silent šəwāʾ(שְׁוָא נָח), and their different pronunciation.
  • You will learn and practice distinguishing between the two types of šəwāʾ.
  • Zooming out from the individual sound, you will investigate the level of the syllable. You will learn about the different types of syllables possible in Hebrew (open and closed) in order to understand the structure of the word.
  • You will learn how to divide Hebrew words into syllables. Dividing the word into syllables makes it easier to understand how it should be read accurately.
  • You will learn the three syllabification rules that will make dividing every Hebrew word into syllables very straightforward and easy. Syllabification of words leads to accurate pronunciation.
  • Reading Hebrew texts is essential for Hebrew language learning. You will practice the reading of the following four texts:
  1. The First Day of Creation (Genesis 1:1-5)
  2. The Ten Commandements (Exodus 20:1-17)
  3. “šəmaʿ yiśrāʾēl” – The Biblical “Creed” (Deuteronomy 6:4-9)
  4. The Lord’s Prayer in Hebrew
  • Each of first three texts is read In three different ways.
  1. Reading the text and covering the grammar of the text as well.
  2. Reading the text according to the syntax but without the traditional melody.
  3. Reading the text with the traditional Melody.
  • To the reading of the Lord’s Prayer in Hebrew I added a short discussion about the original language of this prayer, whether it was in Hebrew or an Aramaic.
Professor Barak provides easily assimilated steps to deeper truths found in the Hebrew Scriptures.‏
Gerben Houtman
Wabash, IN, United States

Your investment to "Become a Hebrew Reader!" is
199$

"I enjoy study with Netanel because he is authentic! He teaches us Hebrew tradition and culture as well as how to read and pronounce the language. I love this language and I want to know everything about if I can learn. He assists me greatly with this endeavor. I highly recommend his as a teacher of Hebrew. I have studied with his previously, I study with him presently, and I expect to study with him in the future."
Dianne Langston‏
San Ramon, CA ,United States

With “Become a Hebrew reader” course you will read Hebrew, and have the best foundation available for your future deep learning of the Bible.

  • You will be able to read the original text of the Bible.
  • You will be able to understand scripture in its original context.
  • You will be able to connect directly to the Word of God, without any “Middlemen”.
"An extremely interesting journey and absolutely the right guide. The most memorable class was based how knowledgeable and exciting the teacher can be. By far the best class I have ever experienced."‏
Maria (Lala) Martinez
Seminole, TX, United States

This course has both the newest and the most ancient course for Hebrew.
How can that be?

It is because it combines elements of the best of both worlds.

For many years I taught thousands of students at the Israel Institute of biblical studies under the Hebrew University in Jerusalem. The methods that were practiced were the best available methods based on Modern scholarship.
However, something was missing. I felt that students, especially if they were busy people, did not reach the level of Hebrew reading that they could. I felt that these students were not able to retain their Hebrew reading skills. Something foundational was missing.

Hebrew letters coloring Practice From Cairo Genizah - Circa 8th C.
Hebrew letters and doodling From Cairo Genizah
Hebrew letters Writing Practice From Cairo Genizah

Being that I am a traditional Jew, I knew there was a solution.
After the destruction of the temple by the Romans, and even more so in the aftermath following revolts, The Jewish people was dispersed around the world, and was no longer using Hebrew as its everyday language.
Amazingly though, despite the fact that they were not native Hebrew speakers anymore the Jewish people was able to to retain almost 100% literacy in all Jewish Communities around the world.

That meant, the Jewish system by which Jews learn Hebrew from about 200 CE all the way to 1900 CE, was geared for non-native Hebrew speakers.

Fortunately, based on the findings from the Cairo Genizah, a collection of old Hebrew documents found in Egypt, dated to Medieval Times, we can revive these old super efficient traditions.

This is how “Become a Hebrew reader” is the newest and the oldest Hebrew course. It combines the wisdom of the ages with the technology of the 21st Century to achieve the best of both worlds and the surest way to Hebrew literacy.

Hebrew Writing Practice From Cairo Genizah

Here is an example of the essence of this course.
On the right hand side you can see a fragment from the Cairo Genizah containing sentences that were copied again and again. The uniqueness of these sentences is that they correspond with Biblical text and themes, and contain all of the Hebrew alphabet letters, so they were ideal as writing practices to make sure you cover all of the letters. On the left hand side you can see how I organized it and added an English translation so you get not only the writing practice but also the moral lesson of these ancient sentences.

"By far, the best Ancient Hebrew instructor I have ever had. Professor Barak not only taught the language, but linked it to the culture and thought process of the Ancient Hebrew people."
Wayne Schandelmeier
Keeling, Virginia, United States

Your investment to "Become a Hebrew Reader!" is
199$

Here are some more reviews I received from my beloved students

"Professor Barak is a great teacher. He incorporate language and talking about the biblical story together. The combination of expertise, energy, passion, and kindness makes for a fantastic experience."
Professor Matthew Delaney
Professor of Hebrew at Oral Roberts University (ORU), Tulsa, OK, United States

Your investment in order to "Become a Hebrew Reader!" is 199$

All of the consonants, vowels, syllables, words and verses are pre-recorded by myself – a native Hebrew speaker –  and are available for you to watch (you can also change the speed if the reading is too slow or too fast for you). 

I will personally provide you with feedback. You may record yourself reading and send it to me (the most convenient way is via WhatsApp). I will give you feedback, what you are reading well and how you can improve.

The more abilities one incorporates into language study the better. This course contains watching, reading, listening, reading aloud and writing.

You are not alone in this journey. Once you complete registration, a link to join an instant messaging groups (WhatsApp and Telegram) will be sent to you. This way you’ll be able to join a group of people who are going through the same amazing journey. The group will also serve you as a source of feedback. I will hear your reading and correct you until you read Hebrew accurately and confidently!

Your progression will be actively monitored. Emails will be proactively sent to you as you complete different parts of the course, making sure you’re on track.

Upon completing the registration for this course, you will receive an email with all of the details for the 12 live Q&A meetings that accompany this course. You are invited to attend these meetings in order to ask your questions and practice your reading with me and with other friends taking the course.
Recordings of these live meetings will be sent to you directly to your email.

The course material will be open for you for life, including participation in the WhatsApp group! This will make you a member of an online community of people who decided to read the Bible in its original language!

This certificate of completion could be yours:

Your investment in order to "Become a Hebrew Reader!" is 199$

Shalom all,

I’m Netanel Barak, Hebrew teacher since 2006. 
I’m a husband and a father of six, a Major (Res.) in a Special Forces reserves division of the IDF, an amateur football player and a Bible collector.

I hold a master’s degree (magna cum laude) in Hebrew Bible Studies from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and Bar Ilan University, as well as a bachelor’s degree (magna cum laude) in Hebrew Bible Studies and Jewish Studies from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and a teaching certificate from The Hebrew University of Jerusalem and from the Israeli ministry of education. I graduated from “Revivim – an Excellence Training Program for Teachers of Jewish Studies” at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem.

Your investment in order to "Become a Hebrew Reader!" is 199$

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You want to take this course, but you still have a few more questions?
Be my guest, I’ll be more than happy to answer your questions.
Please click here to schedule an online meeting of just the two of us (Via Zoom)

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