Hebrew in Public Schools

Shalom, and welcome to another update from Shorashim.

These past few months, Shorashim - along with a number of partners in Chicago, including parents and students - have been dedicated to expanding and preserving Hebrew learning in the public schools in the Chicago-area. We are proud to say that last Monday, the Glenbrook High School District voted to add Hebrew to their course offerings and the Niles High School District elected to preserve the program that was considered for reduction. At the Niles High School District Board meeting, we were proud to see over a hundred community members - parents and students - come out to support the program (see video on our facebook page and the article in the Pioneer Press).

The new addition gives Chicago its seventh public-high school Hebrew program, and along with the offerings at jewish day schools and camp programs such as Chalutzim at OSRUI, makes Chicago the largest community of teen Hebrew learners in the world outside of Israel. For Shorashim's Club Israel, public high school Hebrew classes are where we are able to do some of our most creative work and we we continue to engage hundreds of students a month in Israeli culture and Hebrew language.

New this month, we launched in partnership with other agencies in Chicago, a new website designed to engage parents and students in Hebrew learning. Rega Shel Ivrit ("A moment for Hebrew") is the place to find information on Hebrew learning for teens in Chicago. If you know current or entering students at Chicago-area public schools that offer Hebrew (Deerfield, Evanston, Glenbrook North/South, Highland Park, New Trier, Niles North/West, and Stevenson), please send them to www.regashelivrit.com to learn more about taking Hebrew!