Hebrew is more than a language.

It is a bridge to Jewish identity, Israel, and millennia of wisdom and culture. Yet for many students, especially those with dyslexia and language-based learning disabilities, Hebrew learning presents unique challenges that traditional teaching methods don’t adequately address. Pritzat Derech: Hebrew for All is a field-wide, research-driven, comprehensive approach to support teachers, schools, and communities to improve Hebrew literacy for students with learning differences. 

 The Challenge:

• Up to 30% of students face language-based learning challenges that affect their Hebrew acquisition.
• Achievement gaps widen over time: By second grade, struggling readers in Hebrew read only six words per minute compared to 20 words per minute for their peers and this gap grows without intervention.
• Hebrew’s unique complexity requires specialized approaches: Its consonant-based writing system, vowel markers (nikud), and rich morphological structure create barriers different from English.
• Teacher training gaps mean many Hebrew educators lack access to the science-of-reading strategies that could transform outcomes for all students.

When students struggle with Hebrew, they not only fall behind academically, but they feel disconnected from their Jewish identity, excluded from religious life, and alienated from their community. Early research shows that with appropriate intervention, students who start behind can close achievement gaps significantly.

 The Solution:

Pritzat Derech: Hebrew for All is poised to transform Hebrew language education through a multi-faceted approach that creates lasting change:

• Evidence-Based Framework: We apply the Science of Reading to Hebrew’s unique characteristics, creating instructional approaches that work for all learners while specifically supporting students with language-based learning disabilities.
• Specialized Professional Development: Teachers receive training in structured literacy approaches adapted for Hebrew instruction, learning to recognize learning differences, implement multi-tiered support systems, and use assessment data to guide instruction. One size doesn’t fit all—we help teachers tailor support to each student’s needs.
• Sustainable Systemic Change: Rather than providing temporary fixes, the Pritzat Derech: Hebrew for All initiative creates lasting institutional capacity with Professional Hebrew Reading Specialists who embed expertise directly within schools and communities. This ensures that knowledge and best practices become permanently integrated into your educational system.
• Strengthening Jewish Identity: By removing barriers to Hebrew literacy, we empower schools to create inclusive classrooms where all students can engage with Jewish texts, participate fully in religious life, access Jewish and Israeli culture, and develop strong Jewish identities.

Meaningful Change

For Students: Access to Hebrew literacy regardless of learning differences, confidence in their abilities, and deep connection to Jewish learning and identity.

For Hebrew Departments: The training, coaching, and tools needed to reach all learners, reducing frustration and burnout while increasing professional satisfaction.
Download a quick guide for Hebrew teachers.
Download a quick guide for Hebrew leaders.

For Parents: The assurance that their children will succeed in Hebrew, and that learning differences won’t become barriers to Jewish engagement and belonging.
Download a quick guide for parents.

For Your School: A replicable framework, research-backed resources, and a network of trained professionals that address both immediate classroom needs and long-term systemic change.
Download a quick guide for school leaders.
Download a quick guide for reading specialists and interventionists. 

Learn More

Download our Introductory Guide to learn more about how to make Hebrew classrooms and Jewish day schools more inclusive learning environments.

This new guide developed by Hebrew at the Center in partnership with leading researchers and practitioners, brings together research, evidence-based strategies, answers to common questions, and tailored guidance for teachers, administrators, reading specialists, and families.