No serious school leader today would dismiss the Science of Reading when it comes to English. We know the research. We’ve seen the results. We’ve changed practice.
When it comes to Hebrew, though, I don’t think most schools are shrugging – I think most are exhausted. Bandwidth, training, and resources are real barriers, and Hebrew instruction has rarely had the scaffolds that English teachers now take for granted. Still, we can’t let those barriers define what’s possible. Too many of us keep relying on tradition, intuition, or “this is how it’s always been done,” and the result is predictable: children who stumble, schools that struggle, and a field that quietly lowers its expectations. While it has been published and cited publicly before, it clearly hasn’t resonated yet so I feel it must be repeated: less than 40% of students in day schools and yeshivot across North America are reading at or above grade level benchmarks for Hebrew reading.
The stakes could not be higher. Hebrew is not just another subject on a Jewish day school schedule. It is the key that unlocks prayer, Torah, rabbinics, Israel, and Jewish identity itself. Post–October 7th, Hebrew feels more urgent than ever – not just as an academic subject, but as the connective tissue of Jewish peoplehood. If we want our children to pray with fluency, study with depth, and feel part of a global Jewish story, they must be able to read Hebrew with confidence and comprehension.
[When I say “reading,” I’m using the Science of Reading definition: reading comprehension is the product of accurate, automatic decoding × language comprehension. In Hebrew, that means kriah (decoding/fluency) must be built systematically while oral language and text knowledge are cultivated. There’s no real “reading” without comprehension.]
In my early months at Scott Goldberg Consulting (SGC), I’ve had the privilege to sit with our coaches, visit schools, and watch teachers and students doing this work. And here’s the thing: even after twenty years as a head of school, even after working closely with consultants, even as someone who already believed in the Science of Reading, I realize now how much I didn’t know. We didn’t use these products in my schools. We didn’t fully recognize the stakes. And I see now what a difference it makes.
Bandwidth and capacity are real barriers. Schools are stretched thin. Leaders are juggling more than ever. But I’ve been inspired by what I’ve seen: coaches guiding teachers, teachers guiding students, students unlocking Hebrew fluency across every kind of learning profile. It’s real. It’s happening. And it’s transformative.
A growing number of programs now claim to be aligned with the Science of Reading and that’s a good sign of renewed attention to literacy. But let’s be honest: not all “Science of Reading” is science. True SoR alignment means explicit, systematic instruction built on decades of empirical research. Our work in Hebrew draws directly from that research base, applying it faithfully to a new language rather than just borrowing its buzzwords.
That work is being led by Dr. Scott Goldberg, who has published foundational research on Hebrew oral reading fluency and written and presented alongside many of the scholars who defined the Science of Reading field globally. His continued scholarship has positioned him as the go-to voice for Hebrew within Science of Reading academic circles.
At SGC, we’ve applied the full Science of Reading framework to Hebrew through two complementary products. MaDYK is a universal screening and progress-monitoring assessment that measures the basic early literacy skills that predict overall skilled reading, including comprehension. Even Kriah is a comprehensive curriculum and professional-learning system that helps teachers deliver explicit, systematic Hebrew reading instruction so students become skilled readers with strong decoding and comprehension skills. This isn’t “phonics-only”; it’s the pathway from oral language, vocabulary, phonological awareness, orthography and fluency to meaning.
Hebrew at the Center has long been at the forefront of elevating Hebrew teaching and learning across the field. Through our partnership on the Pritzat Derech project and at the recent Hitkadmut Conference, we are working together to connect that expertise in Hebrew language pedagogy with evidence-based approaches to reading. This collaboration — alongside the work of networks like Tamim Academy Schools, who have piloted Even Kriah — reflects a growing recognition that Hebrew literacy deserves the same rigor, research, and professional development that English literacy already enjoys.
This is exactly what MTSS (Multi-Tiered System of Supports) calls for – a tiered approach where Tier 1 curriculum is evidence-based and Tier 2 and Tier 3 interventions are systematic and responsive. When we fail to provide that structure in Hebrew, we fail our most vulnerable learners. To deny struggling students access to effective Hebrew reading instruction is not just a pedagogic failure. It is a moral one, because without it, these children are shut out of prayer, Torah, community, and belonging.
So what can we do tomorrow?
We can start by asking harder questions about how Hebrew is actually being taught and assessed in our schools. We can make sure Tier 1 instruction is evidence-based, explicit and systematic. We can use real data – yes, like the kind MaDYK provides – to ensure all students are developing necessary reading skills and to inform interventions that work. We can carve out time for training so teachers understand how children really learn to read Hebrew. And we can keep this conversation alive – at Hitkadmut, in our networks, in every place where Jewish learning matters.
If we wouldn’t tolerate outdated practices and more than 60% of students performing below grade level in English, why do we accept it in Hebrew? If we already know how children learn to read, why would we allow the key to Jewish life to remain locked?
This is not about one program or one vendor. It is about a field waking up to a truth hiding in plain sight: we know what works, we have the tools, and the only question left is whether we have the will.
The Jewish future depends on many things. But one is clear: if we want our children to pray, to learn, to belong – we need to get Hebrew right.
The science is here. The tools are here. The time is now.
As the eve of a new Jewish Year approaches, it is my most sincerest hope that this is the year we’ve been waiting for. To all the teachers, staff, parents, students, donors, supporters, and friends in this special school- thank you for your enthusiasm and your hard work. 5785 is shaping up to be a quite an amazing year!
