Hebrew
Discover Hebrew, the ancient language that was brought back to life and is now spoken by millions in Israel.
שלום! (Shalom!) Welcome to learning about Hebrew, the amazing language with one of the most incredible stories ever - it was an ancient language that "went to sleep" for thousands of years, then was brought back to life! Hebrew is spoken by 9 million people in Israel and Jewish communities worldwide.
Hebrew has given English some important words we know like "shalom" (peace/hello/goodbye), "hallelujah," "amen," "sabbath," and "jubilee"! Hebrew is written from right to left instead of left to right, and traditionally was written with only consonants - readers had to figure out the vowels themselves!
Hebrew culture has contributed incredible things to the world including many Biblical stories, amazing innovations in technology and medicine, and the inspiring story of bringing an ancient language back to everyday use. Israel is famous for high-tech inventions, desert agriculture, and turning Hebrew into a modern language!
Some beautiful Hebrew words to know: Shalom (sha-LOHM - peace/hello/goodbye), Todah (toh-DAH - thank you), Chaver (khah-VEHR - friend), Ahava (ah-hah-VAH - love), and Simcha (sim-KHAH - joy). Israelis say "Be'teavon!" before meals, meaning "with appetite!"
Hebrew connects you to one of history's most amazing language comeback stories and a culture of innovation that makes deserts bloom!
