According to a survey by the Pew Research Center, only half of American Jews (52 percent) can read Hebrew. To fill this gap in Jewish education, the Rohr Jewish Learning Institute has developed Read it in Hebrew, an innovative Hebrew reading course that is sweeping the Jewish world. Read it in Hebrew combines timeless learning methods with contemporary psychology for a course guaranteed to be effective in only five sessions.

Read it in Hebrew was piloted in just five communities in 2016. Since then, it’s been taught at over 600 locations across North America, enabling over 6,000 people to read Hebrew.

“The popularity of Read it in Hebrew suggests that it meets a deeply-felt need,” Rabbi Yanky Majesky of Chabad North Orlando explained. “Many feel lost in synagogue simply because they don’t know how to read Hebrew. Learning to read Hebrew strengthens one’s connection to Judaism and the Jewish people in a powerful way.”

Read it in Hebrew appeals to people at all levels of Jewish education, including those without any prior experience in Jewish learning as well as those for whom it is a fun refresher course. With flashcards depicting the letters alongside catchy mnemonics, Read in Hebrew feels like a game of concentration. And, more than just a reading course, students get a glimpse of the profound depth of the Hebrew language, including brief Talmudic and Kabbalistic explanations of the letters.

“We are lucky to have Akiva Anderson to instruct this course for our community,” said Chanshy Majesky of Chabad. “Akiva has successfully taught many of adults in the Orlando Jewish community how to read Hebrew and he is loved by all his students.”

Read it in Hebrew course will be held for 5 consecutive Tuesdays, starting Aug. 3 at 7 p.m. and will be held at Nate’s Shul at 1701 Markham Woods Rd. The fee for the course is $100 and it includes a set of flashcards. Scholarships are available and those unable to afford the tuition can email the rabbi at Rabbi@JewishNorthOrlnado.com for information.

Enrollment is open to the public, and attendees need not be affiliated with a synagogue, temple, or other house of worship.

Interested students may register at http://www.JewishNorthOrlando.com/Hebrew or call Chabad at 407-636-5994.