Tamar has been working with my daughters, ages 12 and 9, for the last two years in their efforts to learn Modern Hebrew and music. We sought out a Hebrew tutor in order to supplement the education our girls were receiving in Hebrew School, and because my oldest daughter expressed interest in pursuing Modern Hebrew as a language. In our search, we discovered Tamar.

Tamar is an excellent teacher. Beyond her knowledge of the Hebrew language, Tamar knows how to teach the language to students. She comes to every session prepared to work with the girls, with knowledge of how she intends the time to be structured and with obvious thought gone into preparing each session. She has previewed curriculum, considered each child’s ability and modified the lessons accordingly. She has learned what motivates the girls and knows how to motivate them to continue learning: whether it is a game to reinforce learning, opportunities to practice conversational Hebrew or support when reading Hebrew. Although the girls work individually for part of the session, they do spend time working together and Tamar can move fluidly when working with the girls to individualize their instruction.

In addition, Tamar is very patient with both girls and is supportive of their progress. Tamar cares about their Hebrew instruction, and it shows. As a result, both girls have improved their Hebrew tremendously. My oldest daughter has a strong foundation in Hebrew and can read Hebrew fluently and confidently. She is able to understand and use basic conversational Hebrew, and has been able to read and understand Hebrew text in our travels! My youngest is an emerging reader,with consistent, steady progress and has also acquired a beginner’s vocabulary of Modern Hebrew.

Not only has Tamar worked with my girls in teaching them Modern Hebrew, she has also worked with my oldest daughter on learning Torah Cantillation. Let me preface this by saying, we are not a family of natural musical talents. My daughter began the sessions not knowing a single note or understanding any of the musical phrasings. Tamar was able to break the cantillation down for my daughter and help her not only learn the chants, but also to understand their structure and construction. Now, my daughter can confidently recite and chant many prayers. It is because of Tamar’s thoroughness in instruction, and perspective that it is better for the girls to understand the musical phrasing than to simply memorize, that my daughter has made such strides in learning music.

Tamar’s breadth of knowledge makes her a stellar instructor. Her warmth, graciousness, patience, dedication, and caring make her a gem in the world of educators. We are so fortunate to be working with her and I cannot recommend her more highly.