Written by Dr. Jeremy Benstein, "Hebrew Wordshops - A New Way to Connect to Hebrew" explores the potency of the three-letter roots that enrich our connection to Hebrew and Jewish values.
The root of sefer, ס-פ-ר (s-p-r), gives us two phrases that at first seem unrelated, even opposite: לְסַפֵּר סִיפּוּר l’saper sipur means "to tell a story," while לִסְפּוֹר מִסְפָּרִים lispor misparim is "to count numbers." "Storytelling" and "counting" define the modern era's two cultures, which are often seen as being diametric opposites: humanities and the exact sciences, qualitative and quantitative.
But Hebrew knows no such dichotomy, treating them as related modes of reckoning, valuing, and evaluating the world. And in fact, English sometimes does the same thing, as with "counting" and "recounting," "telling" and "tallying."
There’s another homonym root that sounds like it could be connected.
Each spring, the eighth graders at Levine Academy in Dallas visit Israel for almost three weeks. For the 40 or so students, it’s a trip they anticipate with excitement for years, beginning in kindergarten when their day school begins weaving Israel throughout the curriculum and programming.
The trip marks the culmination of their day school experience, and educators at Levine Academy want to ensure the students are prepared. This year they will be using the new Israel…It’s Complicated course in eighth grade.
“We’re very excited. We want to prepare our students to be open and to know more, to ask questions. But first students need the information. The new curriculum brings it all – it’s a great source to open the discussion,” says Anna Katzman, the dean of Hebrew language and programs at Levine Academy.