Learning Hebrew
Celebrating Tu Bishvat
Next week the people in Israel will be celebrating Tu Bishvat.
What is Tu Bishvat
and when do we celebrate it?
The name ‘Tu Bishvat’ – ט”ו בשבט means ‘the 15th day of the Hebrew month of Shvat’. (The numerical value of ט”ו is 15)
The spreading in many parts of the Jewish world of drums, yoga and meditation is part of this phenomenon. The peaceful and the joyous in Jewish life are being rediscovered.
Tu Bishvat is a moment to celebrate new life and new beginnings, physical and cultural.
Why did the trees get a New Year of their own?
The trees saw that G-d made a New Year for mankind and said: It is written in the Torah “The man is like a tree…” Therefore we also have to have a New Year of our own.”
They were asked ”What month?“
The trees answered: “Trees need water, therefore it’s better to have it in the month of Shvat”- there is also a Mitzva of planting in that month.
ULPAN-OR TU BISHVAT EVENT
We, at Ulpan-Or will be celebrating Tu Bishvat on Tuesday, Feb 7th at 5:30 PM in our offices in Jerusalem with a local band, tasting fruits and singing together nice popular Israeli songs.
If you happen to be in Israel – we will be happy to have you celebrating with us!!
Text and songs will be taken from Ulpan-Or’s special Tu Bishvat Haggadah, which can be purchased from our online shop at:
http://www.ulpanor.com/osc/
Interactive Multimedia Book For iPAD
We are proud to introduce our first Interactive Multimedia Book designed especially for the iPad platform!
Here is what one of our first readers wrote:
“…Great multimedia book, it not only unfolds the different Torah stories, but also teaches Hebrew at the same time.
The new iPad features and the embedded recordings are just great!! Anxiously looking forward to getting the next books in this series…”
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We are happy to announce the birth of our “New Baby” – the first fully interactivemultimedia Hebrew-English book in a form of an iPad application. This new exciting application is part of Ulpan-Or iHebrew™ series of Hebrew learning books and applications. It presents to the reader fascinating insights, parables and commentaries associated with all twelve weekly Torah portions included in the book of Genesis – Be’Reshit. The new app can be obtained in the App Store at: http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/hebrew-from-insight-out-the/id492643150?mt=8 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0qgkzew5D4k&list=UUzlMGX8TFR-SUUQbfOQoDkA&index=1&feature=plcp Why is it called “Hebrew from Insight Out”? In this book we present various aspects of the Hebrew language as related to insights associated with the biblical texts included in the weekly Torah portions. Book Design This book design is based on the unique RLA – Rapid Language Acquisition methodology developed by Orly and Yoel Ganor, founders of the center for Hebrew studies and Israeli culture Ulpan-Or. This methodology is applied with tremendous success for learning Hebrew by Ulpan-Or branches in Israel and abroad.In this application, designed especially for use on the iPad platform, special effects and features have been applied to enhance and enrich the reading experience. The application will be updated at no cost, as new features and enhancements get released.We were greatlyassisted in designng this app by Kletsel Digital Publishing Book Structure The commentary text is presented in an Easy-Hebrew along with a Hebrew-English dictionary associated with the stories and. A full English translation of the commentaries is included as well.Most of the commentaries relate to the unique way some Hebrew words or expressions are used in the Torah, finding out the reason for it and revealing a new understanding of familiar texts.The written part is accompanied by 24 audio recordings, which include a talking dictionary and a recorded Hebrew commentary for each Torah portion. The recordings are played from within the application.Last, but not least – the reader is shown how some of the ancient Hebrew words have evolved into Modern Hebrew words, expressions or idioms. Coming soon… Watch for our next Hebrew from Insight Out, covering the book of Exodus – Shemot. Special Book Features using the iPad platform For every Torah portion we have included:
● Written and recorded vocabulary – “Talking Dictionary” for especially
challenging words and expressions. These words and expressions are arranged
in the vocabulary table according to the order in which they appear in the
insight text and are marked by bold font. When the word appears as part of a
quoted bible verse, it is marked in italics within that verse.
In order to help the reader understand how Hebrew verbs are used and
conjugated within the text, we have included an indication of the Binyan
(verb group) for each infinitive verb form in the table.
· Hebrew insight text and respective illustrations with a touch of humor.
· Full English translation of the Hebrew text – pops up by pulling the
“Translation” tab.
· Expressions and idioms derived from ancient roots, which are used in
Modern Hebrew – appear when pressing on “Discover” icon. · Audio recordings of the Hebrew text and vocabulary – playable by
pressing on the respective “Play” button. We are certain that the dimension of sound, which is a corner stone of the Ulpan-Or’s RLA - Rapid Language Acquisition method, will enable the reader to make significant progress in Hebrew and in the understanding of biblical texts. A printed hard copy version of “Hebrew from Insight Out” (including an MP3 CD) covering all the “Chumashim” – all Five books of Moses can be found in our online store at: http://www.ulpanor.com/osc/product_info.php?products_id=93
We welcome your reactions and comments.Yoel & Orly Ganor |
| Looking forward to sharing with new many more exciting applications and books in the near future!Yoel & Orly |
Ulpan-Or’s free online Hebrew Course contest
At Ulpan-Or, our online one-on-one Hebrew courses have helped thousands of students learn the Hebrew language. Now is your chance to win a free online Hebrew course! Following the upcoming holidays, Ulpan-Or is currently launching a Facebook contest to win a free online Hebrew course and a three month subscription to e-tone newspaper for learning Hebrew at the speed of light.
Who can win the free Hebrew course?
Ulpan-Or “win a free online Hebrew course” contest is open for anyone who wishes to learn Hebrew over internet for their educational, personal, business and professional needs. 
Participating in the contest is pretty easy, just follow these simple steps:
- Log on to your facebook account and enter Ulpan-Or’s official facebook page at: http://www.facebook.com/ulpanor?sk=app_208195102528120
- Click on the like button at the top of the page
- Post ”Why you love Hebrew” on our wall Or-
- Send a short movie “Why I love learning Hebrew” to Ulpan-Or wall to triple your odds to win
The best Post/Movie will win:
- Eight individual one-on-one online learning sessions – 400$ value!
- Full set of interactive study kits for your level – 200$ value!
- Three-month subscription to our unique online interactive newspaper E-tone – 50$ value!
What are you waiting for? ENTER OUR CONTEST
What are Ulpan-Or’s online Hebrew courses?
Ulpan-Or Online Hebrew is like nothing else you have ever tried, offering live online Hebrew conversation in real time with a fully qualified tutor. Here you can learn Hebrew online with the help of online Hebrew tutor.
Ulpan-or offers quality courses based on a personalized Hebrew learning system called Rapid Language Acquisition (RLA) method, which strongly advocates an acquisition process as opposed to a learning process for Hebrew writing, Hebrew text, and Hebrew speech.
We believe learning the Hebrew Language can be fun and exciting as well as challenging and rewarding.
Why study Hebrew with Ulpan-Or?
Our teacher-led classes start at elementary and go through to upper-intermediate. We have lessons for everyone!
Innovative features including video, chat, interactive newspaper, and more easy to use, state of the art technology.
Access to extensive online interactive learning activities for self-study at your own pace
Expert feedback, plus the chance to test your progress.
What are the advantages of learning Hebrew online?
i- Learn Hebrew at home.
ii- Learn Hebrew fast.
iii- You can choose your time for learning.
iv- Time saving
Ulpan-Or’s Hebrew lessons focus on:
- Improving speaking skills and developing accurate pronunciation
- Understanding grammar, and learning when and how to use it
- Listening and reading for the main idea and detailed information
- Building vocabulary and slang
- Understanding the culture of Israel
The Israeli Network
The Israeli Network: A great way to supplement your Hebrew learning
A guest post by our friends at The Israeli Network
We at The Israeli Network have always been proud to help Ulpan-Or’s students learn even more Hebrew by seeing Israeli news clips with English subtitles in the ulpan’s E-Tone newspaper. The Israeli Network is a way to watch Israeli TV nearly anywhere in the world through various cable and satellite providers. Programs are broadcast with English subtitles, thus providing a way to be entertained, have fun, and learn Hebrew all at the same time. Hmm, entertainment, fun, and learning Hebrew – that sounds a lot like Ulpan-Or’s own courses! The Israeli Network broadcasts Israel’s most-popular programs from many different Israeli TV channels including Maccabi Tel Aviv basketball and soccer; the current-events satire “Eretz Nehederet”; and numerous comedies, dramas, and reality shows. Our shows connect people not only to Israeli culture but also to the Hebrew language! Through Ulpan-Or and The Israeli Network, people can increase their connections to Israel in countless ways. The Israeli Network provides Ulpan-Or’s E-Tone® interactive newspaper with the most recent clips of Israeli TV news from Israel TV 2 with English subtitles. E-Tone® is a weekly, interactive digest of the latest news with additional Hebrew terms to learn. Students can choose the beginner, intermediate, or advanced level. A sample of E-Tone® is available here.
According to a study by the Media Consulting Group for the European Commission (PDF), people who watch a foreign-language program with native-language subtitles learn the language being studied better: A sample of 6,000 persons covering a total of 33 countries (European Union and Iceland, Norway, Liechtenstein, Switzerland, Croatia and Turkey) as well as 5,000 students from this same zone were asked about their viewing habits, their preference for dubbing or subtitling and their language skills. According to this survey, subtitling helps to improve foreign language skills and can also create awareness and provide motivation to learn languages, in both formal and informal contexts, thus contributing to the creation of an environment that encourages multilingualism. Each E-Tone® edition, with the subtitled news-reports, is created with Ulpan-Or’s unique Hebrew-learning methodology, and the items are presented in audio and video files with accompanying text as well as an English translation. E-Tone® focuses on different aspects of life in Israel and around the world while providing fresh, relevant news in Hebrew. Each E-Tone® edition usually comes with four specific items:
- The first is on the latest news in Israel
- The second is on an important development in the rest of the world
- The third discusses culture, science, or sports
- The fourth is an interesting Israeli advertisement
As both The Israeli Network and Ulpan-Or have always maintained, a great way to compliment your Hebrew studies at Ulpan-Or is to watch Israeli TV, see Israeli movies, and listen to Israeli music. It is always important to immerse yourself in the language you are studying as much as possible. We are excited to help Ulpan-Or’s students to do exactly that!
