Hebrew lessons in a Jewish elementary school in Israel isn’t all that surprising, but kids being taught Hebrew by an Arab woman by using a darbuka (Arab drum) is enough to make a hit video. Not only is it a cool way to learn, but this kind of solidarity and connection in Israel (and here, too) is something we not only need more of, but need to celebrate and normalize.
Jehan Jaber, a Hebrew teacher of 17 years, is from a small Arab town in central Israel, and she really wants her students to learn Hebrew—but she also realized young kids need to be engaged in a fun, not boring way (like using index cards and having worksheets to fill out, zzz). So to help them, she made a video of herself singing a song she wrote along with her students. Her song is called “Geshem Geshem Mitaftef” (which translates to “rain, rain, dripping”), which makes it easy (and fun!) for her students to learn Hebrew through harmony and repetition.
The video she made went viral instantly. It became so popular, she was interviewed by Israel’s Channel Two News–which has prompted many people to cover her song, like this group of Israeli soldiers. Listen to the song below:
