tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13782978.post112328615390822515..comments2023-10-17T04:20:37.327-07:00Comments on Balabusta in Blue Jeans: The Speed of PrayerBBJhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09939946821381798057noreply@blogger.comBlogger9125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13782978.post-1123771722206284312005-08-11T07:48:00.000-07:002005-08-11T07:48:00.000-07:00I have EXACTLY the same problem. It is so embarass...I have EXACTLY the same problem. It is so embarassing, but I was absolutely enlightened by the comment about recognizing entire words. Bingo. The truly weird thing is that I always know where we are in the prayer book in Hebrew. I understand what is being said, it's not that at all, I just get the letters completely fermischt. Since childhood I've been coping with this by memorizing prayers, linking them with melodies. Boy, did that set me up for some problems trying to daven with Czechs and Yemenites!<BR/><BR/>This is not a problem I have with Russian, Greek or even Chinese. Yiddish is no easier, but I recognize more words, so I feel like less of a dolt. Sometimes I "read" Yiddish faster than my scholarly husband because he is so thorough to sound things out and I can often guess what the word will be from context in Yiddish.<BR/><BR/>BTW, please let me know about the lavender soap. I have to be in Oakland next week, should you need.AbleVaybelhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04937514949104761647noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13782978.post-1123526974074439102005-08-08T11:49:00.000-07:002005-08-08T11:49:00.000-07:00As someone who is brand new to the Hebrew language...As someone who is brand new to the Hebrew language, I can tell you what I do. I started out davening all in English, then started adding a line or two each day (or as I could). It is definitely slow going, but only adding a line or two each time speeds it up a bit. <BR/><BR/>Basically, I read some in English, some in Hebrew, and some in very slow Hebrew. This works for me. I like being able to see myself progress too.Kashrut Newshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02777056863925769603noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13782978.post-1123523519912568792005-08-08T10:51:00.000-07:002005-08-08T10:51:00.000-07:00You know, the subject line made me think of Genove...You know, the subject line made me think of Genoveve. "It seemed anyone who ate mother's pates died, whether prayed for or not"<BR/>Dunno why.. I'm a dork.<BR/>-- NiamhAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13782978.post-1123436384864714882005-08-07T10:39:00.000-07:002005-08-07T10:39:00.000-07:00Hmmm. Might be--I started sight-reading almost imm...Hmmm. Might be--I started sight-reading almost immediately in English.<BR/><BR/>I wonder how to overcome that, though, aside from learning more Hebrew words--not a bad idea that, though.BBJhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09939946821381798057noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13782978.post-1123410921567349602005-08-07T03:35:00.000-07:002005-08-07T03:35:00.000-07:00Back when I was teaching phonetic Hebrew reading t...Back when I was teaching phonetic Hebrew reading to 3rd graders in Sunday School, I had a puzzling case. The best English reader in the class was the worst at sounding out Hebrew words. He knew the letters. He just couldn't sound out words.<BR/><BR/>But after inflicting several hundred words of Hebrew on the kidlets, I noticed that this kid was very fast at reading any Hebrew word he RECOGNIZED. And we figured it out. He was a really good English reader. Because he never sounded out words in English--he just recognized the whole words and read them. And when he recognized a word in Hebrew, he read it quickly. But he was no good at sounding out words in Hebrew, because he had no practice at sounding out English words!<BR/><BR/>Any help?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13782978.post-1123385002812629772005-08-06T20:23:00.000-07:002005-08-06T20:23:00.000-07:00The awful thing is, I know the letters. I even kno...The awful thing is, I know the letters. I even know the grammatical rules behind the vowels, and how to ID a kamatz katan, and all kinds of useful stuff. I am just horribly, terribly, slow, and incessant practice has only lead to my reading lots aloud very slowly.<BR/><BR/>I didn't know there was a song about, or called, "El Cerrito". I'll have to look it up.BBJhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09939946821381798057noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13782978.post-1123384738256673982005-08-06T20:18:00.000-07:002005-08-06T20:18:00.000-07:00I sympathize with your Hebrew woes. I think transl...I sympathize with your Hebrew woes. I think transliteration is fine for speed, but for you to learn, you should be using the Hebrew. I think that time outside of prayer is needed, Then, implement in prayer. Five minutes a day is enough to practice.<BR/>Of course, if you still need to work on your letters, that's a different story. I could probably be more helpful if I really tried...(sorry)<BR/><BR/>p.s. I basically made it here through some convoluted blog-hopping and becasue you're from El Cerrito, which is in my kids current favorite song by Laurie Berkner "Victor Vito" -- funny, no?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13782978.post-1123346681582274502005-08-06T09:44:00.000-07:002005-08-06T09:44:00.000-07:00Wow, this brings back some baffling Chabad memorie...Wow, this brings back some baffling Chabad memories from my childhood. I remember the Mitzvah Tank stopping in my neighborhood (in Brooklyn!) and some guy with long peyos piling Shabbos candleholders atop my armful of library books (one for me, one for my mother, and one for my grandmother z"l, even though I told him Grandma already lit Shabbos candles). I also remember a Tzivos Hashem comic book featuring Fred and Wilma Flintstone (which today strikes me as particularly bizarre, since Wilma is in no way tznius). Sample dialogue from Wilma: "Fred bubby . . . "<BR/><BR/>I grew up in a secular (Mom and Dad)/lapsed Orthodox (Grandma) family, and am, like you, figuring out how to make my own way as an adult Jew. I enjoy your blog and look forward to reading more of the journey.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13782978.post-1123287169056579412005-08-05T17:12:00.000-07:002005-08-05T17:12:00.000-07:00my most recent hebrew teacher, a cantor, firmly be...my most recent hebrew teacher, a cantor, firmly believes transliterations make it harder to learn. me, i'm often baffled by the inconsistencies in different transliterated texts. i wonder if they have classes on reading the transliteration? i would suggest finding a web site that has the audio, and following along with that. i do have a CD from UAHC called Learn Hebrew Today which goes through the basics with sound, but i think you've been there already. good shabbos!Eliyahuhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10427438219763803238noreply@blogger.com