Menucha Fuchs is a household name to both children and
adults in religious communities throughout Eretz Yisroel.
The accomplished author and educator has written 70 books
for children, and her byline appears regularly in several
Israeli newspapers. She also writes a popular parenting
column.
While many of Mrs. Fuchs' books have been translated into
English and are available in the United States and Canada,
she has recently made a major contribution to chinuch
in America with "Sha'ah shel Menucha," a new
collection of Hebrew textbooks designed to teach English-
speaking elementary school students how to speak, read and
write Hebrew.
The textbooks have extensive, full-color graphics and are
geared toward children in first through fifth grades. Each
textbook picks up where the previous one leaves off,
reinforcing words and concepts students have already been
taught and introducing them to new ones.
Some 70 Torah U'Mesorah schools have already made "Sha'ah
shel Menucha" their official Hebrew readers. And at the
upcoming Torah U'Mesorah Convention, Mrs. Fuchs will be one
of the featured speakers. She will discuss her knowledge of
teaching the Hebrew language and interact with the many
teachers who are already using her textbooks.
Mrs. Fuchs decided to develop the series because she felt
that her more than 20 years' experience as an author and
educator could be put to good use helping children in the
United States learn Hebrew in an easier, more efficient and
more enjoyable manner.
Before putting pen to paper, however, Mrs. Fuchs conducted
extensive research on teaching second languages to children.
She also held a number of meetings with top principals and
educators in the United States to get their input on how to
overcome the cultural differences that exist between Israeli
and American children and make her stories more suitable for
an American audience.
Mrs. Fuchs says that one of the people who was particularly
helpful was Rebbetzin Sara Nadav (Heiman), the former
principal of Torah Academy for Girls. The renowned
mechaneches devoted many hours to the project,
reviewing Mrs. Fuchs' texts, as well as giving her a strong
feel for the life and challenges of children in the United
States.
According to Torah U'Mesorah Executive Vice President Rabbi
Yehoshua Fishman, it's a formula that has paid off.
"I am deeply impressed with the author's initiative in
writing these wonderful books," wrote Rabbi Fishman, in a
letter of approbation for the textbooks. "They will enable
teachers to transmit the language of our ancestors to the
coming generations."
To make the Hebrew-learning process easier and more
efficient, Mrs. Fuchs has organized the five books in her
series in a progression from easy to difficult. Students in
the early grades learn basic Hebrew words and can read
simple stories and songs, while students in the older grades
can read complex stories and have a strong command of the
language in a variety of forms and tenses.
In her textbooks there are no Dapei Avoda, or
worksheets; instead, there are Dapei Hafta'a, or
surprise sheets. Though the Dapei Hafta'a contain
much the same kinds of exercises as those in typical
worksheets, there was a great deal of thought behind Mrs.
Fuchs' decision to change their name.
"Children need to see schoolwork -- and learning Hebrew in
particular -- not as a burden, but as something exciting and
full of surprises," she says. "It is only when a child
understands that learning can be as sweet as eating candy
that he will develop a love for it."
For all its pictures and catchy names, the "Sha'ah shel
Menucha" textbooks cover a lot of ground -- and there
isn't one English word in sight. The books use the "smart
dictionary" method in which the meaning of words is
explained using pictures.
What are Mrs. Fuchs' plans for the future? She intends to
expand the series to include textbooks for students through
eighth grade. She also is looking to improve upon her
existing textbooks.
"I have already gotten a lot of feedback from teachers using
the textbooks, and I've made changes in the newer editions
to reflect their ideas," she says. She adds that she hopes
she'll be able to get additional feedback from the many
teachers she expects to meet at the Torah U'Mesorah
Convention.
"I take all the comments I receive about my books
seriously," she says, "because I have the same goal as the
teachers -- to provide the students with a top-quality
education."
