The first level course at Medrash Ets Haim "Shaangarei Tikvah - Gates of Hope"

HEBREW

1. Basic Hebrew Reading Course (Absolute Beginner's Hebrew) This course can also be downloaded in zip format from the Medrash Est Haim Patreon page.

2. Sebag's Hebrew Course published by Bevis Marks Synagogue(Suitable for Beginners)

3. Harper's Biblical Hebrew Course - An Inductive Method (More Advanced)

In order to become a bangal koreh ( someone who can declaim the Torah in public from the scroll) or an accomplished reader of the Haftarot (Prophetic readings) or aspire to becoming a Bangal Tephillah

( Reader of Prayers in the Synagogue) a knowledge of Hebrew Grammar is of vital importance if you are going to read accurately.

Our course is based on two textbooks, both of which model the Portuguese Hebrew pronunciation of London, which is the pronunciation used at the Medrash Ets Haim. One of these textbooks was used in the lower level classes "Shangarei Tikvah", and the author, Solomon Sebag, was Reader at Bevis Marks.

This course would be suitable for someone with no or little knowledge of Hebrew.

1. Solomon Sebag's 'Hebrew Primer and Reading Book' published at 2, Heneage Lane, London, and printed by S. Meldola

2. William Harper's Biblical Hebrew Course; Yale University

About Solomon Sebag:

Solomon Sebag was born in 1828; died at London April 30, 1892; son of Rabbi Isaac Sebag. He was educated in the orphan school of the Portuguese congregation, London, subsequently becoming master of the Shangare Tiḳvah School next to Bevis Marks Synagogue. On the death of Ḥazzan De Sola, Sebag acted temporarily as reader in the Bevis Marks Synagogue. In 1852 he wrote a Hebrew primer which was for a long time the chief text-book for Hebrew instruction among Jewish children in England - this is the book we are using.

You can download a pdf of the Sebag book here at archive.org (if you are outside the USA you might need to select 'all HTTP'' at the bottom of the list, then right click and save the format you select, e.g. pdf.

A number of other texts have been used as well, to increase the selection of material for reading and comprehension practice.

ARAMAIC

1. Aramaic of the Palestinian Talmud Grammar and Reading Course (The Palestinian Talmud, Yerushalmi, or Talmud of Erets Israel)

This is an introductory grammar and reading course, with a focus on Palestinian Talmudic Aramaic, taught on the Medrash Ets Haim YouTube Channel

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