Hooked on Hebrew: Hebrew Alphabet 1 Playing Cards

Hooked on Hebrew makes learning Hebrew letters easy and fun because it works by playing card games--in school, at home, and even online with friends. Why card games? They are engaging! The more fun you're having, the more you practice, and the more you practice, the more you learn!

Hooked on Hebrew Playing Cards are great for adults as well as children, and are perfect for intergenerational play.

This Beginner Hebrew Alphabet 1 deck features all the Hebrew letters, along with pictures and written hints to help beginners identify and pronounce each one.

The 52-card deck includes 2 cards each of 24 letters. Bet/vet and pey/fey are each doubled on one card; shin, sin, kaf, and chaf are all on separate cards; final forms of mem, nun, kaf, chaf, fey, and tsadee are shown on the same cards with their regular forms. Also includes a monster card, a summary card with all the letters, and directions for playing some of the card games.

You can play more than 10 different games with this deck, including Go Fish, Memory, War, Bingo, and Gin Rummy. Each game can be played one-on-one, in small groups, or in teams. Some of the games can even be played on Zoom or other remote platforms.

Brief game directions are included with this card deck, and an expanded version is available here for download.

Hooked on Hebrew is a game-based way to practice Hebrew letters and prayers. The playing cards can be used to play a wide variety of games in school, at home, and even remotely. 

There are up to 15 different games that can be played with each deck, including Go Fish, Memory, War, Bingo, Gin Rummy, Crazy 8s, and more. They can be played one-to-one, in small groups, or in teams. All can be played in person, and some can be played remotely. Brief game instructions are included with each deck, and an expanded version is available below for free download.

AGE RANGE:

• 8-Adult  
• Learners in grades 3-5
• Families - especially great for intergenerational play

FORMAT:

• Hooked on Hebrew: Hebrew Alphabet 1 (with hints) - This beginner deck is sold individually
• Hooked on Hebrew Phonics Pack - This set contains four different decks: the original beginner deck, Hebrew Alphabet 1 (with hints), Hebrew Alphabet 2 (no hints), Hebrew Vowels 1, and Hebrew Vowels 2.
• Hooked on Hebrew Prayer Pack - This set contains three decks: Sh'ma and V'ahavta, Aleinu, and Mi Chamocha

Each deck consists of 52 full-color playing cards, 2.25 x 3.5", shrink-wrapped.

WEBSITE:

Visit www.behrmanhouse.com/hooked-on-hebrew for free detailed game directions, printable game boards, teacher’s guide, and teacher training video.

TEACHER’S GUIDE:

A free downloadable guide with an overview, goals, tips for use, assessment tool, game directions, game boards.

ASSESSMENT:

Teachers can use the free Hooked on Hebrew Reading Assessment to check each student’s ability level and progress, and determine which deck to use for their skill level. This will help students play and learn at their appropriate level which in turn helps promote success.

FAMILY GUIDE:

A free downloadable family guide with game directions, game boards, and tips for use. 

SPECIAL FEATURES:

You can use Hooked on Hebrew to:

• Make students (children or adults) comfortable by creating a fun learning environment based on play.
• Build trust between students and teachers by creating common goals using the quick, one-to-one assessment.
• Create purposeful and playful game-based in-school and at-home practice opportunities that students will want to repeat on their own.
• Promote emotional and social skills such as waiting one’s turn and good sportsmanship via game-play.
• Prepare students to read multisyllabic words which appear in universal prayers such as Sh’ma/V’ahavta, Aleinu and Mi Chamocha.
• Strengthen bonds among classmates as they have fun learning Hebrew together.

ABOUT THE AUTHORS:

Marilyn Arsham graduated from Yeshiva University and has been a Hebrew school teacher for 24 years and a bar/bat mitzvah tutor for 18 years. She is a former cytogenetics technologist, editor-in-chief of a cytogenetics journal, and co-editor of The AGT Cytogenetics Laboratory Manual (Wiley/Blackwell).

Ron Arsham is a past president of Temple Beth Shalom in Mahopac, NY. He is currently a district board member of the METNY region of the United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism and a board member of the Westchester Jewish Council.

Linda Silbert, Ph.D., is an educational counselor and former Hebrew school principal. She received the BJE-NY Gabriel Schonfeld award for Educator Excellence, and is co-author of numerous award-winning books and educational games. She is co-owner of Strong Learning, Inc, www.stronglearning.com, and is a keynote speaker on creating school environments conducive to learning and making learning fun. 

Al Silbert, Ed.D., is a former physics and math teacher and graphics artist. He is a past president of Temple Beth Shalom, Mahopac, NY, where he was also a past chairman of the Hebrew school. He is co-owner with Linda of Strong Learning, Inc. He has an MA from the Belfer Graduate School of Science, Yeshiva University.

ABOUT THE SERIES:

Hooked on Hebrew was previously published as Hebrew School Fun, and included more decks. We’ve pared it down to make it simpler for customers to choose what they need.