While there are numerous ways to learn Hebrew, one of the most comprehensive programs is right in our own backyard. Johnson County Community College offers Elementary Hebrew 1 and 2 classes for a fraction of what it would cost at a university.
Now in its fifth year, Israeli native Prof. Orit Kamara teaches the classes. She said she still finds many people who can’t believe this program is available. But it isn’t for everyone.
“This is a five-credit course, so it’s very intense,” Kamara said. “Not everyone has the time to devote to this. The student is committed to five hours in class, plus many hours of work at home with homework and quizzes. So it’s like 10 hours a week of Hebrew. You really have to have the time and the desire to do it. But there are many people who want it and are not aware that this option exists here.”
JCCC actually offered the class about 20 years ago, but then dropped it. So for about 15 years the only option for students who were serious about learning Hebrew was the University of Kansas. Then in 2009, JCCC brought it back with Kamara as the instructor, teaching Elementary Hebrew 1 in the fall.
“JUCO is trying to have a nice variety of languages offered in a local community — Italian, French, German, Chinese, Japanese — so having Hebrew and Arabic in the program helped,” Kamara said. “Many other places tend to close those classes that are not very popular or don’t bring in enough money, so I really appreciate that this college is trying to make the effort.”
Now, some students in Lawrence travel to Overland Park to take the Hebrew course at the junior college because it’s less expensive and the credits will transfer.
As the Hebrew program at JCCC grew, the college added Elementary Hebrew 2 for the spring semester. Kamara’s class is so popular that last year, because of student demand, the college also offered Intermediate Hebrew 1 and 2 as independent study courses, with 10 students enrolled. The college is currently conducting enrollment for spring classes.
“I’m guessing we’ll have it again next year, but only if we have enough students. The college wants to see some continuity,” Kamara said. “And I’m guessing there will be enough students because this year I have 18 students in Elementary 1 and I know for sure there are some who want to continue to the intermediate level.
“It’s not like in Hebrew school or taking it just because you have to take it. People who come here are really motivated and it makes it a really fun group of people.”
Students of all ages and religious affiliation are taking Kamara’s class. She said the youngest was a 17-year-old girl who took the class three years ago because she wanted to join the IDF when she graduated from high school. Kamara ran into her recently and learned she is in her second year serving the IDF in Israel.
The oldest, a retired doctor in his 80s, was in her first class.
She knows of another alum who left for Israel just a few weeks ago to join the IDF, and one who made aliyah.
“So there’s a variety of reasons why people want to learn Hebrew. I have had Jewish, Christian, Messianic and even a Muslim once or twice,” she said.
Kamara said there has been a total of 65 students in the program.
Teaching method
Because this is a credit class, it has a different standard than Hebrew classes taught at synagogues or the Jewish Community Center. One of Kamara’s first-year students recently told her that she learned more about Hebrew in the first month than her sister had learned in years at a synagogue.
“It’s involved not only with learning to read, which is what they do at synagogues, but actually conversational Hebrew, and part of it has to do with Israeli culture — not only the Jewish culture but a lot of exposure to Israel,” she said. “For this level of Hebrew, there isn’t anything like it in the area. The closest thing where someone can take Hebrew like this is at KU.”
As an example of one of her assignments, Kamara said she would send a clip home with students about the innovation in Israel. Students need to list the items that are made in Israel, then discuss it in class in Hebrew.
Kamara said her teaching method is not unique, but she tries to improve on the class each year. Right now, she is using PowerPoint during class so she can show lots of pictures while she’s talking. Then she sends a summary of the PowerPoint program home with the students, including her own lecture. She records herself so students have the lesson available to them at home. This is especially useful when new words or new grammatical structures are introduced, so students hear pronunciation and proper grammatical usage.
“I think it’s getting better and better every year, and I get a very positive feedback from the students,” she said.
“The other thing I just recently developed this year is a set of games, board games for the very early stages of learning. In our class we cover it in the first three weeks of class, but in Sunday school it would probably be something you would cover in two years,” she continued.
The board games allow students to practice certain words they learned, reading the words and putting them together into sentences. They’ve proven extremely popular with the beginning Hebrew class.
“Because learning Hebrew is not easy, it’s challenging, so you want some rewards. These games are fun and I’ve found it doesn’t matter how old they are, everyone is enjoying it and getting into the mode of wanting to win the game,” Kamara said. “Hebrew is not a language you would normally take just to fulfill a requirement, so I’m lucky to have students who really want to learn. It makes it much easier for me as a teacher.”
Kamara and her husband Efi moved to the United States from Israel 12 years ago when he was relocated. He works for Amdocs and they live in Overland Park. Their daughter Gili finished her service with the IDF and is now studying at Technion in Israel. Their other daughter, Lior, is studying to be a veterinarian at Kansas State University.
