Student Testimonies
Revolutionizing
the way we read our Bibles
The
brochure certainly looked good, and I was more than a little intrigued
in this "new way" of teaching Biblical Hebrew here in the Land
of Israel. Having studied Biblical Hebrew at a traditional seminary in
the United States, I was interested to see if there was a way of learning
Hebrew that could birth in the students a love for the language rather
than the loathing that seems to be the norm. So, with some high hopes,
I signed up for Dr. Randall Buth's Biblical Hebrew Course.
The course was a six-week experience set
in the Judean Hills, just west
of Jerusalem, at Moshav Yad HaShmonah. From the first day of the course
we were immersed, learning Biblical Hebrew by doing. The teachers would
introduce a new word and then would do what the word said, soon afterwards
we were following along. Learning to jump, run, and play, all in Biblical
Hebrew. Imagine, people laughing while learning an ancient language!
After
the first week, we transitioned into skits and in-class work that had
us internalizing the language as no class anywhere else in the world does.
The result was that after four weeks of class we were reading and understanding
the entire book of Jonah. One of the underlying assumptions of Dr. Buth
is that there is a difference between talking about Hebrew and knowing
Hebrew. Through this course, Dr. Buth introduced us to the joy of knowing
Biblical Hebrew as a living language as opposed to the dead language found
in most gammar books and other Biblical Hebrew courses. This course is
unique in that it engages the student on all levels to make learning the
language exciting and rewarding. The students act out scenes from the
Bible in Biblical Hebrew, learn about life in Biblical times, and take
trips around the Land to read the Biblical stories in their original setting
-- in the original language.
Dr. Buth's course is not magic. The students work hard, but the payoff is that learning comes quicker. I have never seen or heard of another way of learning an ancient language like this. The language takes root and the Bible opens up in a revolutionary way within the student. I would recommend this course to anyone who wants to start reading the Bible for themselves and not through the eyes of an anonymous translator. Be prepared to work hard and have a wonderful time learning the language of Jesus. Nathan Solomon
(Above copy from the Narkis Street Congregation's GOOD NEWS letter Aug. 2001. Nathan Solomon is currently in a doctoral program at Union Theological Seminary, Richmond, Virginia.)
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"I
wondered if I could cope with learning Hebrew from scratch at age 50.
I heard about this non-conventional course taught it Israel and I went
for it. It was an excellent and effective method. I would not want to
learn Hebrew any other way." Heidi Scherrer, Switzerland
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"After six weeks in Dr. Buth's Biblical Hebrew, I was further along
in Biblical Hebrew than most seminary students I know who have studied
for two or three years ... I have since gone on to study Hebrew Bible
at Hebrew University of Jerusalem and I can honestly say that I have
yet to take a Biblical Hebrew class as effect as Randall Buth's course."
Aaron Hornkohl, U.S.A.
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"I had studied Hebrew in college, but found this new course to be great refresher. I'd recommend it to anybody, beginners or rusty non-beginners." Anna Zoni, Italy
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"I
thought the Biblical Hebrew Ulpan course was outstanding in terms of
all that I learned both in and out of the classroom. It is a serious,
effective class with a lot of content and high expectations of its students.
At the same time, it is taught in a way that makes it enjoyable and
learnable. On top of the classroom experience, it was incredible to
be in the land of Israel for 6 weeks, with class trips and weekends
to travel, and Jerusalem only 10 miles away. Even if we didn't leave
Yad HaShmona, we could learn about the fascinating archaeological reconstructions
that are going on at the moshav and climb up and down hills that the
Israelites climbed many millennia before. Even though I am not a pastor,
I would especially recommend the class to seminarians who want to really
experience the Book that they will devote their lives to sharing with
others. It's an experience of a lifetime. And, since I've been home,
I've been amazed at my new ability to read the Bible in Hebrew. I'd
highly recommend it to anyone who asked." Lois Tverberg,
U.S.A.
