

The Covenant Grants
Satellite Notz’tzim and Kochavim Hebrew Immersion Program and Machon Ivrit Hebrew Institute for the Portland Jewish Community
Organization: Congregation Neveh Shalom, Portland, OR
Grant Year: 2010
Project Director: Mel Berwin
Type of Grant: Ignition
Grant Amount: $19,200 (1 year)
Website: http://nevehshalom.org/
Congregation Neveh Shalom, through the Satellite Notz’tzim and Kochavim Hebrew Immersion Program and Machon Ivrit Hebrew Institute for the Portland Jewish Community, expanded a Hebrew immersion program for children to a new satellite location in Portland, and launched a parallel Hebrew immersion program for adult learners.
Ignition Grantee Reflections: Impacts and Learnings
“Where are we now, what did we accomplish, and what have we learned?”
“People want to feel more at home in Judaism. If we do it more in the right way — they’ll engage. If we renovate the way we do Hebrew, it is still meaningful and important to people. I am watching adults go through Machon Ivrit and those families are so much more involved themselves. I think it is strengthening to families, to our davenning community. My whole thing is helping people feel at home in Judaism. That is the biggest picture goal and it is working.”
—Mel Berwin, Project Director
More To Consider:

Proficiency Approach to Hebrew Language Teaching: Empowering Teachers Enabling Students
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