Hebrew Language

Hebrew is the universal language of the Jewish people. As such, it expresses the spiritual, ethical, ritual, and cultural treasures of our people, and serves as a central and vital factor of Jewish identity. Since the birth of the Jewish nation, Hebrew has been the bond that linked its speakers to our sacred texts, and united the dispersed Jewish communities.

Knowledge of the Hebrew language opens up Judaic learning (through Jewish literary sources, classical and modern) and establishes a direct link to the State of Israel. We hope that our students will be able to converse in Hebrew and appreciate the gift of reading Jewish texts in their original.

Cardin utilizes the NETA Hebrew curriculum, an innovative program that sets a new standard for Hebrew language instruction. The NETA Hebrew curriculum establishes Hebrew as an integral subject equal in value and importance to other Jewish and general studies taught in our school. Each lesson engages students by incorporating Jewish tradition, modern Israeli culture, and general knowledge. Students discover the verse of Israeli poet Yehuda Amichai, lyrics by Israeli folksinger Chava Alberstein, passages from Exodus, stories by Etgar Keret, and artwork by Picasso. Hebrew classes range from beginning to advanced.

NETA is committed to ongoing, high-quality professional development of teachers. The program also provides and requires all participating schools to attend both in-house and regional seminars, which are led by NETA’s professional team and offers teacher certification programs.