About Mifgashim B'ivrit
About Mifgashim B'ivrit
Mifgashim B’ivrit--Conversations in Hebrew--began in 2019 when Gila Efrati, an Israeli and teacher of Hebrew, recognized adult Hebrew learners’ need for natural conversational practice. Gila organized monthly, in-person interactions in the Washington, DC area for Hebrew learners guided by qualified teachers who developed meaningful and engaging activities. Participants baked challah, discussed current videos, learned songs, played board games from Israel, shared cultural stories, and more—all 100% in Hebrew.
The new reality of social distancing due to COVID-19 presented an opportunity to redesign the approach—thus Mifgashim B’ivrit 2.0 was born. While keeping the original approach of providing a space for building confidence and skills in speaking Hebrew, the move to an online format means now we can…
- have small breakout “rooms” based on Hebrew level and interests
- invite new guest speakers and conversational activity leaders
- “meet up” more often
- open up Mifgashim B’ivrit to the world!
Meet The Faculty
Gila Efrati
Gila Efrati, the founder of Mifgashim B’ivrit, is a professional teacher with a master’s degree in theater and a teaching license from Tel Aviv University. A native of Israel, she built the theater department at Ramot Heffer High School and taught middle and high school for nine years. Gila was part of the pilot team at Ramot Heffer that developed a unique methodology for teaching, leading to the school’s recognition as an “experimental school” and its role as a mentor to other schools. Gila led the development of the new teaching method used in the school's theater department.
After moving to the US in 2000, Gila began teaching Hebrew at Charles E. Smith Jewish Day School, and for the last ten years she has taught Hebrew at Milton Gottesman Jewish Day School of the Nation’s Capital. Since 2017 she has enjoyed developing and teaching adult Hebrew courses, from beginning to advanced levels, at the Edlavitch Jewish Community Center of Washington, DC.
FAQ
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What others are saying
“Refreshed my dormant Hebrew skills with fun, engaging activities and people.”
“I was very happy that this was only in Hebrew. I also enjoyed the variety of activities.”
“Today was very fun and interesting! Loved the way the theme of ‘customs/traditions’ was woven throughout all of the lessons.”