Rice University, Houston Hillel language program cruises Tel Aviv streets in virtual tour
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Guy Sharett took Houston Hillel students on a virtual tour of Tel Aviv.
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On Nov. 4, Guy Sharett, presenter of the Streetwise Hebrew podcast, took students on a linguistic tour of Tel Aviv. Sharett’s appearance on Zoom was a joint project of Rice University’s Jewish Studies Program and Houston Hillel. Houston Hillel students joined students from Rice University’s Hebrew Language and Culture course and members of the community for the presentation.
Lior Ashkenazy Dor, the Jewish Agency Israel fellow to Houston Hillel, described Sharett’s presentation.
“Through pictures of textual graffiti, stickers, billboards and even death notices, Guy enabled the participants to learn so much about Israeli society, culture and identity,” said Dor. “He talked about things like Modern Hebrew versus Ancient Hebrew, how gender is reflected in Modern Hebrew, the current Hebrew slang scene, and even food culture.
“It was really fascinating to see how much you can learn from exploring the Hebrew language. Guy presented it with a lot of humor and grace. It was a refreshing way to teach the language, and all the participants, even those who didn’t have a former background in Hebrew, found it really interesting.”
Dr. Melissa Weininger, the Anna Smith Fine senior lecturer in Jewish Studies and associate director of Rice University’s Program in Jewish Studies, said, “Events like Guy’s presentation provide students with a fun and useful way to connect what they’re learning in the classroom about Hebrew and Israeli culture to the real world. It shows them Hebrew is a dynamic, living language and also allows them to make connections between their own immediate surroundings, the streets and signs they are familiar with in their own lives and the Israeli context.
“It really brought to life Hebrew language and the streets of Tel Aviv. I’m so grateful to Lior at Houston Hillel for reaching out to me and introducing me to Guy so we could host this event. It’s a great example of why partnerships between Houston Hillel and the Program in Jewish Studies are so important.”
Rabbi Kenny Weiss, Houston Hillel’s executive director, said, “I first started listening to Guy’s Streetwise Hebrew podcast a little more than two years ago, during my sabbatical in Jerusalem. This past spring, when the pandemic forced us to transition to virtual programming, I contacted Guy about a Zoom session for our students. The real credit goes to Lior and Melissa for working with Guy and putting together all the logistics, and to the Program in Jewish Studies for their support.”
Sharett’s weekly Streetwise Hebrew podcast is accessible for free in English, with a Hebrew version available to listeners who pay a minimum of $5 per month. After Sharett’s presentation, Rabbi Weiss secured a donation from a community member that will enable six students to receive the Streetwise Hebrew podcast in Hebrew each week for the coming year.
“Every Wednesday night, I meet on Zoom for an informal dinner with a group of Hebrew-speaking students, some proficient and others less so,” said Ashkenazy Dor. “I cannot wait to tell these students about the gift of the Hebrew version of the podcast, and to follow up with them each week to hear what new insights they’ve learned about Hebrew.”
Lior Ashkenazy Dor, the Jewish Agency Israel fellow to Houston Hillel, described Sharett’s presentation.
“Through pictures of textual graffiti, stickers, billboards and even death notices, Guy enabled the participants to learn so much about Israeli society, culture and identity,” said Dor. “He talked about things like Modern Hebrew versus Ancient Hebrew, how gender is reflected in Modern Hebrew, the current Hebrew slang scene, and even food culture.
“It was really fascinating to see how much you can learn from exploring the Hebrew language. Guy presented it with a lot of humor and grace. It was a refreshing way to teach the language, and all the participants, even those who didn’t have a former background in Hebrew, found it really interesting.”
Dr. Melissa Weininger, the Anna Smith Fine senior lecturer in Jewish Studies and associate director of Rice University’s Program in Jewish Studies, said, “Events like Guy’s presentation provide students with a fun and useful way to connect what they’re learning in the classroom about Hebrew and Israeli culture to the real world. It shows them Hebrew is a dynamic, living language and also allows them to make connections between their own immediate surroundings, the streets and signs they are familiar with in their own lives and the Israeli context.
“It really brought to life Hebrew language and the streets of Tel Aviv. I’m so grateful to Lior at Houston Hillel for reaching out to me and introducing me to Guy so we could host this event. It’s a great example of why partnerships between Houston Hillel and the Program in Jewish Studies are so important.”
Rabbi Kenny Weiss, Houston Hillel’s executive director, said, “I first started listening to Guy’s Streetwise Hebrew podcast a little more than two years ago, during my sabbatical in Jerusalem. This past spring, when the pandemic forced us to transition to virtual programming, I contacted Guy about a Zoom session for our students. The real credit goes to Lior and Melissa for working with Guy and putting together all the logistics, and to the Program in Jewish Studies for their support.”
Sharett’s weekly Streetwise Hebrew podcast is accessible for free in English, with a Hebrew version available to listeners who pay a minimum of $5 per month. After Sharett’s presentation, Rabbi Weiss secured a donation from a community member that will enable six students to receive the Streetwise Hebrew podcast in Hebrew each week for the coming year.
“Every Wednesday night, I meet on Zoom for an informal dinner with a group of Hebrew-speaking students, some proficient and others less so,” said Ashkenazy Dor. “I cannot wait to tell these students about the gift of the Hebrew version of the podcast, and to follow up with them each week to hear what new insights they’ve learned about Hebrew.”