OPINION: There is an urgent need for diaspora Jews to learn modern Hebrew
Parents, schools and community leaders should prioritise teaching Ivrit
As a teacher and head of a team of Ivrit educators in a Jewish primary school, I have the privilege of witnessing the joy, curiosity, and connection that modern Hebrew can spark in our students. Yet at the same time, I feel a deep urgency -especially now – to make the case for Hebrew education in the diaspora, and for prioritising it from the earliest years of Jewish learning. Building a strong, knowledgeable Jewish future starts with the language.
Children are at their most linguistically absorbent in their primary school years. These are the years when we teach them the ABCs of their identity, so why not also the Aleph-Bet of their Jewish and Zionist identity?
Introducing Modern Hebrew at this stage isn’t only about language acquisition. It’s about shaping confident Jewish identities and equipping children with the tools to participate in Jewish life and to enhance their connection to Israel. It means helping them access the language through Jewish connections, chagim, and Israeli culture in a meaningful way – not through translation, but directly, with ownership.
Learning Hebrew early has proven cognitive benefits, but more than that, it signals that Hebrew matters. It shows our children that being Jewish comes with a language, a rhythm, a voice of its own.
Too often, Hebrew in the diaspora is treated as a relic of ancient texts or confined to the synagogue. But Modern Hebrew – Ivrit – is alive. It’s spoken in everyday life by millions of people. It’s the language of WhatsApp messages, Israeli songs, memes, podcasts, and news headlines. It’s the living language of a living people.
By learning Ivrit, diaspora Jews build a bridge to Israel and its people. They gain access to Israeli culture without the filter of translation. They can chat with their Israeli peers, follow Israeli current events, sing along to Israeli music, and understand a different perspective on global events. This connection is invaluable, particularly for the next generation of global Jews.
In recent months, we have seen Jewish communities around the world wrestle with grief, pride, unity, fear, and resilience. In times like these, we crave connection: to one another, to our traditions, to something bigger than ourselves.
Hebrew can be that connection. It is a tool of empowerment. When Jewish children learn Hebrew, they aren’t just studying vocabulary; they are claiming their place in a 3,000-year-old story. They are joining a global conversation. They are strengthening their sense of belonging.
More than ever, we need to invest in Jewish identity. We need to teach our children who they are, where they come from, and how to stay rooted as they grow. Hebrew is not a luxury – it is a lifeline.
Parents, schools, and community leaders – prioritise Hebrew Make space for it in your curricula, in your budgets, in your after-school clubs, and in your homes.
To fellow educators: continue to teach Ivrit with creativity, warmth, and passion. Bring Hebrew to life. Make it sing. Help our students fall in love with the sound of their own heritage.
We owe it to the next generation to give them more than just a vague sense of being Jewish. We must give them language – real, vibrant, modern language – to express it. Hebrew education should not be an afterthought – it should be central.
Sharon Walters is Head of Ivrit and Ivrit teacher at Kerem School
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