Author: Ami Steinberger

There are those who think that Iran poses an existential threat to Israel. In Hebrew, we call this אִיוּם קִיּוּמִי (ee-YOOM kee-yoo-MEE). The truth is, it does. Modern-day Haman (Achmawhatshisname) may have the capacity to blast us out of the Middle East (and thus destroy the world). But the G-d of Israel has more to…

ח The letter ח”ת (het) is pronounced by most Hebrew speakers today the same way the כ is pronounced – like a kh sound (not found in Modern English). In some Jewish communities (North African, Yemenite), however, it is still pronounced just above the throat, with no voice – like a scratchy “h” sound. This…

Putting it together… Give gifts of food to your friends. It’s a great conversation starter… and it’s a win-win situation, making everyone feel warm and fuzzy. This is one of the mitzvahs of Purim day. So if you’ve been following the blog throughout this past week, here’s a useful sentence that puts it all together:…

פורים The Hebrew name for the upcoming Festival of Lots is פּוּרִים (poo-REEM, more commonly pronounced in Israel as POO-reem). The name comes from the ancient Persian word for lots, puru. Lots of words in the Megillah come from ancient Persian and Babylonian, such as the names of the main characters. Play today’s dose of…

חברים Friends are good to have. Attachment is what makes the world go ‘round. The Hebrew word for friend is חָבֵר (hah-VEHR – referring to a male) or חָבֵרָה (hah-veh-RAH – referring to a female). The plurals are חֲבֵרִים (hah-veh-REEM) and חֲבֵרוֹת (hah-veh-ROHT). Use the term to refer to a friend of the same sex…

לשמח The Hebrew word for happy is שָׂמֵחַ (sah-MEH-ah), or שְׂמֵחָה (smeh-HAH) for a female who is happy. To make someone else happy is לְשַׂמֵּחַ (le-sah-MEH-ah). For example, it’s a mitzvah לְשַׂמֵּחַ חָתָן וְכַלָּה (le-sah-MEH-ah hah-TAHN ve-khah-LAH) – to cause a groom and bride to be happy. Play today’s dose of Hebrew below!Be sure to…

מצווה When an Israeli teen gets a letter from the military to show up, s/he receives a צַו גִּיּוּס (tsahv g-ee-YOOS) – literally, this is an order of recruitment. A mitzvah (in Hebrew it’s מִצְוָה – meets-VAH), in the purest sense of the word, is a commandment. See the connection between the words צו and…

If there’s ever a day on the Jewish calendar to show brotherly love, it’s Purim.   One of the expressions of this love is giving gifts of food to one another.   The Hebrew term for this practice is מִשְׁלוֹחַ מָנוֹת (mee-SHLOW-ah mah-NOHT), or literally, delivery of (food) portions. Play today’s dose of Hebrew below!…