Our Mission
At Hebrew at the Center, we work to revolutionize Hebrew language education and engagement as we advocate for Hebrew as a more prominent and intentional feature of Jewish life.
Our Vision
Our vision is a world in which the Hebrew language profoundly enhances the joy and richness of Jewish identity and connects Jewish communities around the world.
Our Approach
We are committed to raising the bar in Hebrew teaching and learning. Two truths: Excellent education outcomes are accomplished through well-prepared and talented teachers and inspired teaching. The transformation of Hebrew and the field requires bold collaborative leadership and willingness to disrupt the status quo. Whether working with a day school, a summer camp, or other educational setting, we help institutions clarify their vision for Hebrew, create an effective work plan to build internal capacity, introduces effective tools for assessment and evaluation, and provides coaching and mentoring at each level to advance educational outcomes and build support for continued growth.
1 Collaborative Consultancies
At the core of our work is our offering of individually tailored coaching and consultancy engagements to build capacity and imbed expertise within each organization. We work intimately with organizational leadership to develop a vision for Hebrew and to build out a leadership team that is committed to realizing that vision.
2 Model Schools of Excellence
Our pilot program, Leading in Hebrew, has been building dynamic centers of Hebrew teaching excellence that strengthen Hebrew expertise in the community. Our initiative has made a notable impact in Washington, DC, where we are partnering with Milton Gottesman Jewish Day School of the Nation’s Capital, and in Chicago, where we are partnering with Chicago Jewish Day School, to engage all stakeholders–school administration, faculty, students, parents, and board–in a holistic approach to elevating Hebrew. This pilot enables us to test current thinking and assumptions, and spread expertise and demonstrate what is possible.
Hebrew at
the Center’s
revolutionary vision
is being realized through four major strategies
3 Ongoing Professional Development
At the core, we support educators as decision-makers by providing them with critical tools. Professional development opportunities range from intensive certificate programs to deep-dive online training and professional learning communities designed to expand the cadre of expert Hebrew language coaches, mentors, and teachers.
4 Field Building and Strategic Partnerships
As a thought leader and go-to organization in the field of Hebrew language, we partner with universities, foundations, assessment providers, central agencies, philanthropic entities, and cultural organizations in North America, Israel and other locations around the world to systemically raise the profile of Hebrew.
1 Collaborative Consultancies
At the core of HATC’s work is our offering of individually tailored coaching and consultancy engagements to build capacity and imbed expertise within each organization. HATC works intimately with organizational leadership to develop a vision for Hebrew and to build out a leadership team that is committed to realizing that vision.
2 Model Schools of Excellence
Leading in Hebrew, a new HATC program, is building dynamic centers of Hebrew teaching excellence that strengthen Hebrew expertise in the community. Our first engagement is underway in Washington, DC where we are partnering with Milton Gottesman Jewish Day School of the Nation’s Capital to engage all stakeholders–school administration, faculty, students, parents, and board–in a holistic approach to elevating Hebrew. This pilot enables us to test current thinking and assumptions, and spread expertise and demonstrate what is possible.
Hebrew at
the Center’s
revolutionary vision
is being realized through four major strategies
3 Ongoing Professional Development
At the core, HATC supports educators as decision-makers by providing them with critical tools. Professional development opportunities range from intensive certificate programs (if this is true) to deep-dive online training and professional learning communities designed to expand the cadre of expert Hebrew language coaches, mentors, and teachers.
4 Field Building and Strategic Partnerships
As a thought leader and go-to organization in the field of Hebrew language, HATC partners with universities, foundations, assessment providers, central agencies, philanthropic entities, and cultural organizations in North America, Israel and other locations around the world to systemically raise the profile of Hebrew.
Effective Assessment Tools
Assessment tools bring clarity and focus as we measure our perceived outcomes against real student progress. Such tools show us the difference between what we intend for students and what occurs in our students’ language experience.
ELLOPA-Based Interview Tool
Recommended for PK - Grade 2
Our interview tool, based on the Center for Applied Linguistics ELLOPA, is an innovative language proficiency assessment instrument designed to allow young, pre-literate students to demonstrate their highest level of performance in oral and listening proficiencies.
This tool includes hands-on activities and is conducted entirely in the foreign language. Students are assessed in pairs by two trained test administrators and, during the activities or tasks, are encouraged to interact with each other as well as with the interviewers. The focus of the interview is to determine what the students can do with the language in terms of speaking and listening. The ELLOPA may also include a cultural awareness activity.
Avant STAMP™
Recommended for Grades 3 and up
Avant’s STAMP™ is the leading language proficiency assessment in the world, giving schools, teachers, and parents the only true picture of students’ world language proficiency skills, and providing teachers and schools with accurate data to improve their programs and learning outcomes. We partnered with Avant to create the STAMP tool for Modern Hebrew.
Unlike some assessments, Avant STAMP does not allow for teaching to the test and does not require teachers to place students into designated testing paths before they start, allowing students to demonstrate their true proficiency level without any prior limitations placed on them.
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Setting goals is key to an assessment-based approach. HATC supports organizations in articulating language, cultural and attitudinal goals specific to their respective Hebrew visions. These goals, which are developed for each level of Hebrew as well as for each student, serve as benchmarks as well as inform differentiated teaching. Providing clarity and sharing expectations allows for teachers to be focused on student outcomes and for students to take ownership over their learning.
HATC’s approach is assessment-based. Learner assessments in the four language skills (speaking, writing, reading and listening) based in the three modes of communication (presentational, interpretive and interpersonal) serve as critical measure of growth in students, teachers and the overall Hebrew program.
Data review and analysis allows for teachers, administrators and school leaders to make informed decisions in order maximize student outcomes. Analysis allows for making decisions about leveling and student placement, for better understanding the needs of individual learners, and to compare results in relation to expected outcomes.
A program informed by overarching and specific goals (whether it is created from scratch or an adaptation of an existing program) is fundamental to maximizing student potential. Implementation of the program is a dynamic process that calls for teachers to stay focused on articulated goals while finding points of connection and meeting the needs of their specific students. This process calls on teachers to conduct ongoing formative assessments to ensure that the learning is student-centered.
“The proficiency approach is the gold standard of language acquisition, and partnering with Hebrew at the Center has brought that standard to our school for Hebrew language instruction…”
Rabbi Mitch Malkus
Head of School, Charles E. Smith Jewish Day School
