Spoiler Alert: I'm Illiterate

 Ok you're reading this blog.  You know I'm not actually illiterate. 

Well, in English anyway.  


I am, however, pretty close to illiterate in Hebrew.  It's not that I haven't tried.  I've spent plenty of time in Ulpan classes, trying to actually learn Hebrew.  I was exposed to Hebrew even less than most BT, because I'm not coming from a reform or conservative background- My parents were totally secular.  



As it turns out, people with dyscalulia (Hi. It's me) often have trouble with learning foreign languages, which, sadly, is what Lashon kodesh is to me.  


I struggle through davenning. I'm mostly able to daven shemonei esrei from memorization.  If I never offer to take a perek of tehillim, it's not because I don't care.  I literally don't know how. (Should I be admitting this in public?   probably not) 


When my husband and I first got married, he was very into learning Yiddish and wanted to bring up the kids speaking Yiddish. 

There are several problems with that. 

1: my husband, due to a different learning disability, is possibly even worse than I am at learning foreign languages.  Which, I want you to know, is hard to be. 

2: We don't live in or near a Yiddish speaking community.  And for people who have such trouble with language learning, immersion would probably be the best way to learn.  (In light of this, we should probably just go to Israel for awhile and try to get better at Hebrew. As opposed to what I've been doing thus far, which is learning Hebrew from my students.  Literal toddlers.  Hey- it worked for my Spanish when I worked in public school!  


He did have a pipe dream to go Yiddish camp- I think it's put on by workman's circle or something. This is my husband's idea of a summer vacation.  Anyway, we're not going this year, due to me being extremely pregnant and having no desire to deliver my child in Yiddish, 


Anyway, I've got to go drink this coffee before my baby gets back from daycare...


PS: I'm not bragging about illiteracy.  If anyone knows a good Hebrew tutor who works with adults, I'm looking for recommendations.

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