Biblical Hebrew for Everyone

​A collaborative offering of Mekom Torah and
​The Mordecai M. Kaplan Center for Jewish Peoplehood
Second semester is now underway.
The next round begins Fall 2023. Use form below to let us know if we should save you a place
Meeting online via Zoom
  • Two semesters of about 20 sessions each, over one calendar year, with breaks for holidays and summer vacation.
  • All course materials are provided online, with recordings available for missed classes.
  • Meets Tuesdays, from 7:30 - 9:00 pm Eastern time, beginning April 26, 2022.
Instructor: Rabbi Helen Plotkin taught Biblical Hebrew for 20 years at Swarthmore College, in the departments of Classics and Religion.  She currently teaches at Reconstructionist Rabbinical College.
What you can expect to accomplish
  • Learn to read the Hebrew Bible in the original, using the tools available in reference books and online.
  • Uncover the nuances and ambiguities in biblical language that commentators use as jumping off points for interpretation.
  • Understand much of Jewish liturgy.
  • Discover why different translations are so different.
  • Rescue your powers of interpretation from the hands of translators.
Is this for you? Maybe you studied Hebrew years ago; maybe you chant Torah in synagogue or actively participate in Hebrew prayer; maybe you teach Hebrew School; maybe you know some Modern Hebrew. We start at the beginning, assuming no vocabulary, but this class tends to work best for people who've had some contact with Hebrew already. Don't worry if you read slowly; your reading will get smoother rapidly as you begin to understand the language!
How this is like a college course: There will be homework.  Consistent attendance is expected.  Commitment is paramount!
How this is different from a college course: It’s fun and welcoming, with no grades, just encouragement and pay-off for hard work.  Examples are drawn from familiar passages in the Bible, Jewish liturgy, holiday practice, and other famous Jewish texts.
Tuition: The tuition for this class is flexible, like all Mekom Torah classes. You may simply tell us what you can afford. Really. No questions asked. For those who can afford it, we ask $500 per semester for each 20 week semester.
​​Pay online, or by mail: Tuition Payments.​
​For more information, or for help deciding whether this  group is right for you, please enter your contact information: