Have you ever wanted to actually read Hebrew, rather than follow along phonetically or wait for the English translation? Prayerbook/Biblical Hebrew 1 is the first course in a three-part sequence that teaches you to read and understand prayerbook and biblical texts in the original.

This course starts at the very beginning, teaching the Hebrew alphabet and sight-reading skills, then builds vocabulary and grammar using the widely used text Prayerbook Hebrew the Easy Way. Along the way, you'll also explore related topics, from key prayerbook melodies to the origins of the Hebrew language to daily life in the biblical world.

Required text: Anderson, Motzkin, et al., Prayerbook Hebrew the Easy Way.

Who this is for:

• Beginners with no Hebrew at all
• Anyone who wants to read the prayers in synagogue rather than follow the transliteration
• Students of the Bible who want to read it in the original

What you'll leave with:

• The ability to read the Hebrew alphabet and vowels and sound out prayerbook and biblical texts
• A starting vocabulary and the basics of Hebrew grammar
• Readiness for Hebrew 2

Nine Sundays: October 11, 18, and 25; November 1, 8, 15, and 22; December 6 and 13, 3:30–5pm Pacific Time (no class November 29)

Questions? Our FAQ covers registration, recordings of missed sessions, refunds, and financial assistance.

For more than two millennia, thriving Jewish communities made their homes across Iraq, speaking distinctive Jewish varieties of Arabic. Judeo-Baghdadi Arabic, also known as Yahudic, developed among the Jews of Baghdad and the towns to its south, preserving ancient linguistic features alongside Hebrew and Aramaic elements that set it apart from the Arabic spoken by their Muslim and Christian neighbors. After the mass emigration of Iraqi Jews in the mid-twentieth century, the language began its rapid decline. Today it is critically endangered.

This six-session course is built around everyday Baghdadi Jewish life. Each session takes up a theme, so the words you learn come with their cultural setting. You’ll learn the distinctive sounds of the language, greetings and conversational formulas, and how to talk about family and work, food and drink, and the holidays. The last session covers proverbs, colorful expressions, and yes, the swear words.

Who this is for:

• Anyone curious about the Jewish languages of the Middle East
• Students of Iraqi Jewish history and culture
• Anyone with Iraqi Jewish roots who wants to connect with the language of their family
• Learners who have taken New Lehrhaus’s other Jewish language courses.

What you'll leave with:

• The sounds and basic vocabulary of Judeo-Baghdadi Arabic, with greetings and phrases you can use
• An understanding of the Hebrew and Aramaic elements that set it apart from the Arabic of Baghdad’s Muslim and Christian neighbors

No prior knowledge of Arabic or Hebrew is required.

Schedule: Six Sundays: October 18 and 25; November 1, 8, 15, and 22, 11:30am–1pm Pacific Time

Questions? Our FAQ covers registration, recordings of missed sessions, refunds, and financial assistance.

This intermediate, in-person Yiddish course uses physical movement, conversation, texts, and media to explore how Yiddish describes bodies in motion and talks about sports, exercise, and physical activity. The course is conducted entirely in Yiddish and assumes proficiency with the alef-beys. There will be some physical movement during class, but it's a course for every kind of body.

Who this is for:

• Intermediate learners who already read, write, speak, and understand some Yiddish
• Students who want a face-to-face class
• Anyone who learns better by moving than by sitting still

What you'll leave with:

• The vocabulary to take part in, or lead, a movement class in Yiddish
• Stronger reading and listening skills, built on Yiddish writing and media about exercise from different eras, movements, and places

Nine Mondays: October 19, 26; November 2, 9, 16, 23, 30; December 7, 14, 5:30–7pm Pacific Time

Questions? Our FAQ covers registration, recordings of missed sessions, refunds, and financial assistance.

After the expulsion of 1492, Sephardic Jews who settled in Morocco brought their Spanish with them. Over the centuries, living among Arabic and Berber speakers and drawing on their own Hebrew traditions, they turned it into a new language: Haketia. At its peak Haketia had 30,000 speakers. Fewer than 1,000 remain today, and this course gives you the chance to help document it.

Working with native speakers, you’ll learn the basics of language documentation, from linguistic fundamentals to fieldwork: how to record, transcribe, and analyze a living language. The course meets for six weekly 90-minute sessions on Zoom. 

All sessions are recorded, so you can attend live or follow along later.

Who this is for:

• Anyone interested in Sephardic history and Jewish languages
• Students of linguistics, anthropology, or Jewish studies who want fieldwork experience
• Anyone with Moroccan Jewish roots who wants to help preserve the language
• Alumni of our previous Language Keepers program

What you’ll leave with:

• An understanding of what sets Haketia apart from other forms of Judeo-Spanish
• Fieldwork skills you can apply to any endangered language
• A contribution to the permanent record of Haketia

Six Tuesdays: October 20, 27, and November 3, 10, 17, and 24, 4:00–5:30pm Pacific

Questions? Our FAQ covers registration, recordings of missed sessions, refunds, and financial assistance.

Lomir redn yidish, let's speak Yiddish! This beginner Yiddish course is designed for students with little or no prior Yiddish who want to learn to speak, read, and write the language. Using the In Eynem textbook alongside authentic Yiddish songs, games, and media, you'll build a practical foundation in Yiddish conversation, vocabulary, grammar, and culture. You'll learn the Yiddish alphabet (alef-beys) in both print and cursive, introduce yourself and others, make everyday small talk, and describe your daily routine, all while exploring Yiddish culture past and present.

Who this is for:

• Beginners with little or no Yiddish (including Duolingo learners ready to go further)
• Hebrew and German speakers who want to build on what they know

What you'll leave with

• Reading and writing the alef-beys in print and cursive
• Introducing yourself, making small talk, and describing your day in Yiddish
• A first acquaintance with Yiddish songs, games, and media

15 sessions, Tuesdays and Thursdays: October 20, 22, 27, and 29; November 3, 5, 17, 19, and 24; December 1, 3, 8, 10, 15, and 17, 5:30–7pm Pacific Time  (No class November 10, 12, or 26.)

Questions? Our FAQ covers registration, recordings of missed sessions, refunds, and financial assistance.

Haberes buenos (good news): New Lehrhaus has a brand-new Ladino course! Ladino, the Judeo-Spanish language of the Sephardim, grew out of the languages of fifteenth-century Iberia. For the next five centuries it developed apart from Spanish, in close contact with Turkish, Arabic, Greek, and the other languages of the Mediterranean and the Balkans.

This course will ground itself in Sephardic history and culture and will also get you speaking right away. We will primarily be learning the Istanbul dialect of Ladino, but you will learn to recognize other varieties.

What You’ll Learn:

• the socio-historical context of Ladino (where does it come from? who speaks it today?)
• the sounds of Ladino and pronunciation
• how to read Ladino in its contemporary Latin-based script
• greetings and introductions
• regular and irregular verbs in the present tense
• basic sentence construction
• simple conversation about everyday topics
• how to build an at-home Ladino "language nest"!

Bring Ladino into your daily life with our Ladino en Kaza (Ladino at Home) kits! Each boxed Ladino en Kaza (Ladino at Home) kit holds about 30 prompt cards that guide you through everyday activities in Ladino, from washing your hands to making breakfast. Kits are mailed to your home after you register.

Who this is for:

• Anyone interested in learning Ladino, exploring Sephardic history and culture, and beginning to speak and read this unique Judeo-Spanish language.
• No pre-existing knowledge of Spanish, Hebrew, or Judaism is required.

What you'll leave with:

• Basic Ladino reading, writing, and conversation skills, an understanding of the language’s history and varieties
• Tools for practicing Ladino at home with the Ladino en Kaza kit.

Six Sundays: November 1, 8, 15, and 22; December 6 and 13, 10–11:30am Pacific Time
Course will not meet Thanksgiving Week (November 29)

Questions? Our FAQ covers registration, recordings of missed sessions, refunds, and financial assistance.

Complete our full Hebrew 1 curriculum in just four weeks! Beginning December 14, this accelerated course uses Prayerbook Hebrew the Easy Way and combines eight recorded lessons with four live online study sessions with the instructor. Two recorded lessons are released each week, allowing you to work through the material on your own schedule, while the weekly live sessions give you a chance to ask questions, review what you’ve learned, and get additional guidance. Because the main instruction takes place in the recorded lessons, the live sessions are designed as brief weekly check-ins rather than full class meetings.

By the end of the course, you’ll be ready to continue directly into Hebrew 2 in January.

Who this is for:

• Learners ready to complete most of the Hebrew 1 coursework through recorded lessons, with a short live session each week
• Hebrew 1 students who would like a concentrated review before beginning Hebrew 2 in January 

What you'll leave with:

• Completion of the full Hebrew 1 curriculum in just four weeks
• The ability to read basic prayerbook and biblical Hebrew texts
• A solid grasp of the Hebrew alphabet, vowels, and foundational vocabulary
• Readiness to continue directly into Hebrew 2 in January

Required text: Prayerbook Hebrew the Easy Way, available at Afikomen Judaica in Berkeley and other outlets.

Recorded lessons: Two each week, released December 14, 21, and 28 and January 4.

Live study sessions: Sundays, December 20 and 27 and January 3 and 10, 7–7:30pm Pacific Time, online.

Questions? Our FAQ covers registration, recordings of missed sessions, refunds, and financial assistance.