// essays //
Fall 2013
Hebrew in Harlem: A Cultural Experiment at the Harlem Hebrew Academy
Marissa Young
Imagine you are walking down the street in Harlem and you hear someone speaking Hebrew. Your surprise grows when you turn around and see that it is not an ultra-Orthodox yeshiva student or an Israeli tourist, but a little boy from the neighborhood. Dressed in uniforms of blue and white, young Harlem students are learning Hebrew as a second language. They are the students of Harlem Hebrew Language Academy Charter School, a new addition to a growing number of Hebrew Charter Schools, and an institution with a revolutionary and perhaps controversial vision.
Currently in its first year in session, Harlem Hebrew offers classes to 168 students in grades K-1. The school plans to grow incrementally by one grade each year until its fifth year in operation where it will cap the student body at 450 students. There are also plans to eventually expand through 8th grade. Harlem Hebrew is modeled after a similar Hebrew Charter School located in Brooklyn, which teaches students from grades K-4.
Harlem Hebrew has the standard benefits that draw parents to charter schools: longer hours, smaller class sizes, intense academic rigor and an appealing dual language curriculum. Some parents admit that it seemed like the best option even before they considered the Hebrew aspect. Each day is broken down into English Language Arts, math, and Hebrew language, in addition to 180 minutes of social studies and 135 minutes of science per week. While math and ELA are taught completely in English, social studies and science lessons are split between both languages, and each class has two instructors, one to teach in each language.
The school is mostly publicly funded and lacks any religious association to Judaism or Hebrew Bible studies. It must be noted, however, that charter schools are often partially funded by private philanthropy, and Harlem Hebrew is no exception. With millions of dollars coming from the Hebrew Charter School Center, a group founded by the Jewish philanthropist Michael Steinhardt, the choice of Hebrew takes on more of a financially sensible character. Dan Gerstein, a Harlem Hebrew spokesperson and long time player in the charter school movement, explained to me, “Charter schools are not created based on what’s [widely] popular. They are created based on a [specific] demand.” Parents thought that Hebrew could extend beyond the study of the religious texts it has traditionally been associated with and seized the opportunity to create a unique education experience for their children. The successful start of the opening year has indicated that these families are indeed excited about what Harlem Hebrew has to offer.
My natural speculation is that the school is primarily comprised of Jewish or Israeli families who want to avoid the cost of Jewish day school, yet still benefit from learning Hebrew. However, since the school is public, religious demographics are not readily accessible. What is known, however, is that the school is open to students in New York’s District 3, which includes the densely Jewish Upper West Side. According to conversations with the administration and parent body, I learned that the school is one of the most integrated in New York City. The racial population of Harlem Hebrew reflects the diversity of the district it is in, with a 45% Black, 40% White and 15% Latino student body.
It may come as a surprise that this is not Harlem’s first experience with Hebrew. In fact, a thriving Jewish community once existed in the Harlem neighborhood, spanning from the 1880s to the 1920s. With a peak population of 178,000 Jews, Harlem was one of the largest Jewish populations in the world—third only to Krakow, Poland and the Lower East Side. A number of churches in the area have remnants of Harlem’s Jewish presence with Stars of David on their rooftops or Old Testament verses inscribed on their walls.
Harlem Hebrew is facilitating a revival of an often forgotten aspect of Harlem history. But perhaps even more significant is the parallel between the school’s mission and the unique relationship between the Jewish and African-American communities in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. A surprising amount of inter-community partnerships existed within Harlem, especially in the entertainment field, where Jewish and Black musicians worked together regularly. Although these groups lived separately, this integration was extremely progressive for an era where discrimination was rampant. Today, Hebrew has become an agent of integration that ties the diverse inhabitants of Harlem together and connects them to a forgotten past.
The founders of Harlem Hebrew maintain that an integral part of learning any language is learning the language’s culture. The Hebrew curriculum is based on a custom-made program that makes Israeli society relevant to the students’ lives. Students are introduced to Israeli culture through an imaginary street called “HaOlam Street” (Hebrew for “The World Street”), where families from all of Israel’s different immigrant communities live together. Though they speak many languages at home, Israeli Arabs, Israeli Christians, African refugees, Russian, Ethiopian and American immigrants make up Israel’s population and speak Hebrew with each other. Many Harlem children can relate to the idea of speaking one language at home and another to communicate outside of the home. These children may have any number of differences, but they come together to learn Hebrew as a community. Within Israel, Hebrew connects members of a wide range of ethnicities, countries of origin and cultural backgrounds. The imaginary street of Harlem Hebrew, HaOlam Street, serves as an outlet to explore the fusion of different societal aspects that form a uniquely Israeli culture, while simultaneously cultivating a Harlem Hebrew community all its own. Combining people from all regions of the world and all races and ethnicities, HaOlam Street seem just like any other street in New York. This idea of Israel as a melting pot in the Middle East makes the connection with modern America obvious, and also illuminates another reason why Hebrew makes sense being taught in New York City—it is a language of unity.
New York is the paragon of cultural diversity and cross-cultural dialogue and it is fitting that a Hebrew charter school would open in this setting. Though others like it do exist, it is not surprising that this progressive concept could thrive in Harlem where the prospect of building bridges might further tie the community together. Still, the fact remains that Spanish, Mandarin, French, Italian and Russian, along with a whole host of other languages, would have been more practical language choices. Thus, the question of why the charter school selected Hebrew as a second language may continue to trouble people whose sole focus is practicality.
It is hard to dispute that languages other than Hebrew offer more pragmatic benefits. In a country where English is the most spoken language, and Spanish, Chinese, Tagalog, and French follow, it would seem more productive to learn any of those, simply as a matter of function. Hebrew is the 23rd most spoken language in the United States. It is hard to imagine a future in which Hebrew is heard on the streets of America like Spanish and Chinese are heard today; instead, it will likely remain a language primarily spoken in Israel. So why should a young student in Harlem want to learn Hebrew? However, instead of asking why Hebrew versus another language, I have elected to ask: what does Hebrew have to offer on its own?
Knowledge of Hebrew could be a useful business tool for kids growing up in a world where Israel is a key player in global trade and business. As the charter school’s website points out, Israel has a disproportionately large number of companies listed on the NASDAQ Index, second only to the United States. While English is considered to be a universal business language and company employees in Tel Aviv are usually required to speak fluent English, business ties could be strengthened if an effort is made to speak in the partner’s native tongue. These deeper connections could create more stable and long-term relationships. Specifically in Harlem, where recent emphasis by educators and education policy makers has been placed on raising academic standards, fluency in Hebrew could provide students with access to a growing niche in the professional world, in addition to cultivating a group of people well qualified to fill that widening gap. Counterintuitive as it may be, the fact that so few people speak Hebrew means that knowing the language holds the value of a unique skill set. Giving these children something that sets them apart will hopefully allow them to overcome stereotypes and occupy key positions in the global economy.
However, perhaps more meaningfully, Hebrew is also an attractive language option for its rich historical and religious significance. As one of the only ancient languages still spoken today, albeit in a modern form, Hebrew gives students access to a long lineage of Hebrew texts that can enhance their knowledge of history and make them more well-rounded adults. This may appeal specifically to the Harlem community, which, in some ways, parallels the Hebrew language through its own rich history. Hebrew may also be a gateway to learning other languages, such as Arabic, in the future. Additionally, some Christian and Jewish parents hope their children will gain a greater insight into their respective religions from their ability to examine the Bible in its original language.
Parents who chose Harlem Hebrew say they were attracted to the school since it does not limit education to the boundaries of American culture and geography. One parent explained that studying Hebrew exposes children to a world far greater than the United States. It is plausible that these parents are referring to an idea beyond just the physical size of Israel. Harlem Hebrew’s website, anticipating challenges to its language of choice, expresses that Hebrew “is a valuable vehicle for encouraging students’ development as global citizens and fostering students’ commitments to dialogue and understanding.” It is the hope of the founders of the school and the parents who choose it—idealistic as though it may be—that the expansion of Hebrew to a diverse population will help to bridge the gaps between cultures, races, and ethnicities.
The ingenuity of Harlem Hebrew lies in its mission to make this rich language relevant and exciting to American children. The exact logic behind choosing Hebrew over any other language may still be perplexing, but looking at the general advantages of Hebrew, rather than considering the comparative advantages, supports Hebrew as a unique choice. Perhaps the young student that you heard speaking Hebrew in Harlem will grow up to strengthen Israeli-American business ties. Maybe she will succeed in her career because of the insight she gained from examining a long lineage of Hebrew texts. Or perhaps he will be the leader of a movement that finally bridges the race and ethnicity gaps in America, understanding of cultures different from his own. The possibilities of Harlem Hebrew are endless.
Currently in its first year in session, Harlem Hebrew offers classes to 168 students in grades K-1. The school plans to grow incrementally by one grade each year until its fifth year in operation where it will cap the student body at 450 students. There are also plans to eventually expand through 8th grade. Harlem Hebrew is modeled after a similar Hebrew Charter School located in Brooklyn, which teaches students from grades K-4.
Harlem Hebrew has the standard benefits that draw parents to charter schools: longer hours, smaller class sizes, intense academic rigor and an appealing dual language curriculum. Some parents admit that it seemed like the best option even before they considered the Hebrew aspect. Each day is broken down into English Language Arts, math, and Hebrew language, in addition to 180 minutes of social studies and 135 minutes of science per week. While math and ELA are taught completely in English, social studies and science lessons are split between both languages, and each class has two instructors, one to teach in each language.
The school is mostly publicly funded and lacks any religious association to Judaism or Hebrew Bible studies. It must be noted, however, that charter schools are often partially funded by private philanthropy, and Harlem Hebrew is no exception. With millions of dollars coming from the Hebrew Charter School Center, a group founded by the Jewish philanthropist Michael Steinhardt, the choice of Hebrew takes on more of a financially sensible character. Dan Gerstein, a Harlem Hebrew spokesperson and long time player in the charter school movement, explained to me, “Charter schools are not created based on what’s [widely] popular. They are created based on a [specific] demand.” Parents thought that Hebrew could extend beyond the study of the religious texts it has traditionally been associated with and seized the opportunity to create a unique education experience for their children. The successful start of the opening year has indicated that these families are indeed excited about what Harlem Hebrew has to offer.
My natural speculation is that the school is primarily comprised of Jewish or Israeli families who want to avoid the cost of Jewish day school, yet still benefit from learning Hebrew. However, since the school is public, religious demographics are not readily accessible. What is known, however, is that the school is open to students in New York’s District 3, which includes the densely Jewish Upper West Side. According to conversations with the administration and parent body, I learned that the school is one of the most integrated in New York City. The racial population of Harlem Hebrew reflects the diversity of the district it is in, with a 45% Black, 40% White and 15% Latino student body.
It may come as a surprise that this is not Harlem’s first experience with Hebrew. In fact, a thriving Jewish community once existed in the Harlem neighborhood, spanning from the 1880s to the 1920s. With a peak population of 178,000 Jews, Harlem was one of the largest Jewish populations in the world—third only to Krakow, Poland and the Lower East Side. A number of churches in the area have remnants of Harlem’s Jewish presence with Stars of David on their rooftops or Old Testament verses inscribed on their walls.
Harlem Hebrew is facilitating a revival of an often forgotten aspect of Harlem history. But perhaps even more significant is the parallel between the school’s mission and the unique relationship between the Jewish and African-American communities in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. A surprising amount of inter-community partnerships existed within Harlem, especially in the entertainment field, where Jewish and Black musicians worked together regularly. Although these groups lived separately, this integration was extremely progressive for an era where discrimination was rampant. Today, Hebrew has become an agent of integration that ties the diverse inhabitants of Harlem together and connects them to a forgotten past.
The founders of Harlem Hebrew maintain that an integral part of learning any language is learning the language’s culture. The Hebrew curriculum is based on a custom-made program that makes Israeli society relevant to the students’ lives. Students are introduced to Israeli culture through an imaginary street called “HaOlam Street” (Hebrew for “The World Street”), where families from all of Israel’s different immigrant communities live together. Though they speak many languages at home, Israeli Arabs, Israeli Christians, African refugees, Russian, Ethiopian and American immigrants make up Israel’s population and speak Hebrew with each other. Many Harlem children can relate to the idea of speaking one language at home and another to communicate outside of the home. These children may have any number of differences, but they come together to learn Hebrew as a community. Within Israel, Hebrew connects members of a wide range of ethnicities, countries of origin and cultural backgrounds. The imaginary street of Harlem Hebrew, HaOlam Street, serves as an outlet to explore the fusion of different societal aspects that form a uniquely Israeli culture, while simultaneously cultivating a Harlem Hebrew community all its own. Combining people from all regions of the world and all races and ethnicities, HaOlam Street seem just like any other street in New York. This idea of Israel as a melting pot in the Middle East makes the connection with modern America obvious, and also illuminates another reason why Hebrew makes sense being taught in New York City—it is a language of unity.
New York is the paragon of cultural diversity and cross-cultural dialogue and it is fitting that a Hebrew charter school would open in this setting. Though others like it do exist, it is not surprising that this progressive concept could thrive in Harlem where the prospect of building bridges might further tie the community together. Still, the fact remains that Spanish, Mandarin, French, Italian and Russian, along with a whole host of other languages, would have been more practical language choices. Thus, the question of why the charter school selected Hebrew as a second language may continue to trouble people whose sole focus is practicality.
It is hard to dispute that languages other than Hebrew offer more pragmatic benefits. In a country where English is the most spoken language, and Spanish, Chinese, Tagalog, and French follow, it would seem more productive to learn any of those, simply as a matter of function. Hebrew is the 23rd most spoken language in the United States. It is hard to imagine a future in which Hebrew is heard on the streets of America like Spanish and Chinese are heard today; instead, it will likely remain a language primarily spoken in Israel. So why should a young student in Harlem want to learn Hebrew? However, instead of asking why Hebrew versus another language, I have elected to ask: what does Hebrew have to offer on its own?
Knowledge of Hebrew could be a useful business tool for kids growing up in a world where Israel is a key player in global trade and business. As the charter school’s website points out, Israel has a disproportionately large number of companies listed on the NASDAQ Index, second only to the United States. While English is considered to be a universal business language and company employees in Tel Aviv are usually required to speak fluent English, business ties could be strengthened if an effort is made to speak in the partner’s native tongue. These deeper connections could create more stable and long-term relationships. Specifically in Harlem, where recent emphasis by educators and education policy makers has been placed on raising academic standards, fluency in Hebrew could provide students with access to a growing niche in the professional world, in addition to cultivating a group of people well qualified to fill that widening gap. Counterintuitive as it may be, the fact that so few people speak Hebrew means that knowing the language holds the value of a unique skill set. Giving these children something that sets them apart will hopefully allow them to overcome stereotypes and occupy key positions in the global economy.
However, perhaps more meaningfully, Hebrew is also an attractive language option for its rich historical and religious significance. As one of the only ancient languages still spoken today, albeit in a modern form, Hebrew gives students access to a long lineage of Hebrew texts that can enhance their knowledge of history and make them more well-rounded adults. This may appeal specifically to the Harlem community, which, in some ways, parallels the Hebrew language through its own rich history. Hebrew may also be a gateway to learning other languages, such as Arabic, in the future. Additionally, some Christian and Jewish parents hope their children will gain a greater insight into their respective religions from their ability to examine the Bible in its original language.
Parents who chose Harlem Hebrew say they were attracted to the school since it does not limit education to the boundaries of American culture and geography. One parent explained that studying Hebrew exposes children to a world far greater than the United States. It is plausible that these parents are referring to an idea beyond just the physical size of Israel. Harlem Hebrew’s website, anticipating challenges to its language of choice, expresses that Hebrew “is a valuable vehicle for encouraging students’ development as global citizens and fostering students’ commitments to dialogue and understanding.” It is the hope of the founders of the school and the parents who choose it—idealistic as though it may be—that the expansion of Hebrew to a diverse population will help to bridge the gaps between cultures, races, and ethnicities.
The ingenuity of Harlem Hebrew lies in its mission to make this rich language relevant and exciting to American children. The exact logic behind choosing Hebrew over any other language may still be perplexing, but looking at the general advantages of Hebrew, rather than considering the comparative advantages, supports Hebrew as a unique choice. Perhaps the young student that you heard speaking Hebrew in Harlem will grow up to strengthen Israeli-American business ties. Maybe she will succeed in her career because of the insight she gained from examining a long lineage of Hebrew texts. Or perhaps he will be the leader of a movement that finally bridges the race and ethnicity gaps in America, understanding of cultures different from his own. The possibilities of Harlem Hebrew are endless.
//MARISSA YOUNG is a freshman at Columbia College. She can be reached at my2356@columbia.edu.