Hebrew, without the fret: Alef-bet that’s on the Net

If you want to learn a little bit every day, then join the Hebrew Word of the Day mailing list at http://hebrewWord.listbot.com You'll receive a regular e-mail containing a beginner word, an intermediate one and a short translation of a Hebrew prayer. To learn more, click on the button to visit the Hebrew word archives and then join in the online discussion group at http://www.hebrewresources.com/discus

If you would like to graduate from words to idioms and sayings, then click on the Jewish Agency's Passing Phrase Web site at http://www.learnhebrew.org.il A sample phrase: "kol hakavod" which means great job. Here's the site's cheeky explanation: "Your kid hits a home run, you would praise him/her with 'Kol Hakavod!' Of course, as with any other great phrase, it can also be used with a tinge of sarcasm." You can read and listen to more Israeli slang at the about.com Web site, http://hebrew.about.com/homework/hebrew/library/slang/blslangindex.htm

Israeli Hebrew for Speakers of English is a series of Hebrew language textbooks designed by a group of linguists and Hebrew instructors at the University of Illinois. Even if you don't purchase the textbooks, you can still learn from the 21 audio lessons provided free on the Internet, at http://dubenbooks.freeyellow.com/israeli_hebrew_audio.htm

These lessons last up to 40 minutes; be prepared to be drilled on grammar, pronunciation and comprehension. They start with the basics but can get quite sophisticated. You will need to have the RealPlayer Basic program installed on your computer. It can be downloaded free from http://www.real.com/player

If you have an interest in Hebrew, there are discussion groups that want you as a member, from groups for bilingual speakers to those for people interested in Hebrew translating, basic Hebrew, Hebrew computing, Jewish writing and Jewish editing. Join up at http://www.geocities.com/ athens/stage/4942/2Language.html

For kids, Nurit and Yonatan Reshef have created the lovely Hebrew Survival Kit, which challenges you to match English and Hebrew phrases, at http://www.bus.ualberta.ca/yreshef/zionism/Bahasa/hskindex.html As you click on the words, a voice speaks them. Stay on the Reshefs' site and you'll be quizzed to match Hebrew words with corresponding pictures at http://www.bus.ualberta.ca/yreshef/quizpicture (You'll need Hebrew fonts installed to play this one.)

Do you remember those hand-held puzzles in which you scramble the tiles and then are challenged to rearrange them to form a picture? The Aleph-Bet Puzzle tests you to do the same thing online -- by reordering the Hebrew alphabet -- at http://members.tripod.com/~rafistern/fun.html At the same site's Aleph-Bet Memory Game, you are challenged to remember letters of the Hebrew alphabet in the style of the old game show "Concentration." Finally, the Multilingual Word Match Game not only tests your skills but even comes with an amusing guarantee: "Become a polyglot in minutes or your money back!" It's at http://www.bus.ualberta.ca/yreshef/wordmatch/wordmatch.html

Don't miss ZigZag's "Hebrew for Me" page at http://www.zigzagworld.com/hebrewforme You can choose from 17 different scenes such as "At the Restaurant," "Shopping for Shabbat" and "What do I Wear?" When you drag a Hebrew word from the side of your screen onto the scene, the Hebrew words turn into an explanatory picture. The more creative your design, the more Hebrew words you learn. At this site, adults will be challenged by the frustrating AlefBetGo game, at http://www.zigzagworld.com/AlefBetGo

For something a bit more old-fashioned, kids can print out and color the Hebrew alphabet, at http://www.akhlah.com/coloring/COLORING.asp For more educational sites, visit the Jewish-Hebrew Learning Sites page, at http://www.jr.co.il/hotsites/j-hebrew.htm

One of the most daunting challenges for people new to Hebrew is how to read the words without the vowels. Eliezer Segal has written a hilarious article about an unpublicized trade pact between Israel and Poland surrounding a surprising commodity: discarded Hebrew vowels. It's at http://www.acs.ucalgary.ca/~elsegal/ Shokel/920316_Vowels.html