Once again, Chanukah has arrived. Perhaps you give your children a gift each nightof the holiday. What are you giving this year? Something educational? Why not the gift of Hebrew?

Unfortunately, an amazing number of people studied Hebrew as a child, but over the years, they have let those Hebrew skills fall by the way side. Sometimes, as they become parents or enter their leisure years, the desire to learn Hebrew returns. In big cities, many of them take courses at the Jewish Community center, but in more remote places, many people turn to the computer to become their Hebrew teacher.

HebrewResources.com offers several products, which work well for adults and children. The first program in their series is “At Home with Hebrew”. It teaches how to read and recognize all the Hebrew letters and vowels, along some basic vocabulary (both modern and biblical).

The next stage in learing is to learn conversational skills, and this can be accomplished with “Hebrew Kindergarten”. This program assumes a person can read and at least sound-out the letters already. It then teaches the most common vocabulary used at the kindergarten and first grade level of reading. Even adults must learn to walk before they run.

Recently, HebrewResources released its newest product “Shirei Ha-Shabbat (Songs of the Sabbath). This set includes a hip audio-CD with professionally sung music accompanied by guitar and band that covers many of the basic prayers. Then, the software program in the package teaches the more traditional synagogue tunes for the same Sabbath prayers. This package is a great way to get a person back into the Hebrew of the Siddur.

The cantor chosen for “Songs of the Sabbath” is really amazing. You can click buttons on the computer to hear the parts of the prayers, either word-by-word, or line-by-line, or you can hear the entire song at once.

When we think of giving Hanukah gifts, we often think of children. Many adults want their children to learn the Jewish language, even if their skills aren’t so great. These products can be used by either children or adults, but how much better to do it together, and make it a family experience?

Believe or not, Jews are not the only people learning Hebrew. Many Christians today have a growing interest in the original language of the Bible, and many are learning the basics of Jewish practices to better understand the Bible. It has been said that “all translations are commentary”, meaning that any English translation of the Hebrew scriptures cannot help but have ideas of the translator behind it.

Whether you celebrate Chanukah or Christmas, consider giving the “gift of Hebrew”. Any of the above tutorials can keep a student busy for months, so they are truly gifts that give all year round. Even if you miss the winter holidays, you can start Hebrew as a New Years resolution, or any time of the year.