Hebrew
Hebrew, Yiddish, and Ladino are written with different lettering than the English language. Whereas English is written and read from left to right, Hebrew, Yiddish, and Ladino are written and read from right to left. The Hebrew letters are often referred to as the alef-bet. Hebrew is considered to be the sacred language of Judaism. The prayers and Torah/ Haftarah readings are done completely in Hebrew (although the vernacular language is permitted for those unfamiliar with Hebrew). The Hebrew language has no official vowels, but when the Hebrew language became less known, the rabbis invented a system of vowels to help with pronunciation. Most Hebrew in the modern-day writings, as well as the Torah scrolls, do not use the vowel system. [Mysticism of Hebrew Letters]

The Dagesh is a dot in the center of a Hebrew letter and may appear in most letters of the Hebrew aleph-bet. There are six letters in the group of Hebrew letters that use the dagesh on any consistent basis. These letters are vet (ב), gimmel (ג), dalet (ד), kaf (כ), fey (פ), and tav (ת). At one time, all six letters were pronounced differently depending upon whether or not a dagesh was present. Today, only three of these letters change their pronounciation if a dagesh is present. (ב, כ, פ) - note that it is a Sephardic tradition to change the pronounciation (pronounced as an "s") of the Tav (ת) if a dagesh is present. The five guttural letters - aleph (א), hey (ה), chet (ח), ayin (ע), and resh (ר) - cannot every have a dagesh.

Hebrew Letters (Printable Hebrew Aleph-Bet Chart ) (Printable Hebrew Flashcards )

Cursive

Rashi

STAM is an acronym for Sifrei Torah, Tefillin, Mezuzot and refers to the script used for sacred writing.

Old Hebrew (c. 8th century BCE)

Vowels (Niqqud)

Return to Top

Yiddish
Yiddish is the language of the Ashkenazi Jews. It is a mixture of the Hebrew and Medieval Germanic languages and is written in Hebrew letters (along with a few Yiddish letters based upon the Hebrew letters). As with Hebrew, it is written and read from right to left. Yiddish began as a spoken language and was eventually written down using the Hebrew aleph-bet. Yiddish gradually moved away from German and developed its own grammatical rules and pronounciations. There are many Yiddish words that have made their way into everyday English speech. There is currently a revival in the study and use of the Yiddish language.

Return to Top

Ladino
Ladino is the language of the Sephardi Jews and became a specific Jewish language after the expulsion from Spain in 1492. It is a mixture of the Hebrew and Medieval Spanish languages and is written in Hebrew letters. As with Hebrew, it is written and read from right to left. Oriental Ladino was spoken in Turkey and Rhodes and Western Ladino was spoken in Greece, Macedonia, Serbia, and Romania. There is currently a revival in the study and use of the Ladino language.

Return to Top