“I’ve always wanted to improve my Hebrew,” says Angela, one of our students from Michigan. “I learned it when I was a kid—my grandma spoke to me on the phone, and we had classes at school. Then I grew up and had no one to practice with. I started learning with an app on my phone, but it was hard to stick with it, so after a couple of weeks, I stopped.”

Then Angela came to an intro session a year and a half ago and discovered that our teaching method relies on a fast-paced group dynamic. This way, our classes שיעורים (shee-oo-reem) are high-energy and involve every single one of our students—so no one is ever left out. Because classes are intimate (10-12 students at most), students develop real connections קשרים (kshah-reem) with each other, ones that can extend outside the classroom. We always ask our students to let us know in advance if they are planning to miss a class, as it affects the entire group קבוצה (kvoo-tsah) and the lesson plan.

“What I realized I was missing the most when I studied alone was having someone hold me accountable for my attendance and progress. I’m embarrassed to admit it, but I’m a terrible procrastinator—it’s hard for me to finish a task without a deadline. When I started with Citizen Café, I looked forward to each class not only because I liked how structured it was, but also because I knew my friends were waiting for me to show up. What also helped me was knowing that I didn’t have to be perfect or get it right all the time; I could just come in—tired or stressed—and lean on my teacher, trust her to guide me through the exercises, and practice with my fellow classmates.” 

So what do you say, want to experience hands-on what our method is all about?