This is a poster sponsored by the Israeli Ministry of Education and Culture entitled “Learn Hebrew in These Ways,” presenting the various ways of learning Hebrew that were available to new immigrants in Israel in the 1940s.
At the top of the poster is the official logo of the Ministry of Education and Culture. The poster includes images of immigrants learning Hebrew in each of the various different ways detailed in the text: ulpan, radio broadcasts, newspaper columns, study groups, and more. In the centre of the poster there is a short explanation of each of the study methods illustrated. The people depicted in the photographs are all of different ages and origins, representing the people immigrating to Israel at the time.
Would You Like to Know More?
Ulpan - The most well-known institution for the intensive study of Hebrew is the Ulpan. The purpose of ulpanim, both then and now, is to help new immigrants integrate into Israeli society. Ulpanim teach adult olim (immigrants) the basic skills of conversation, reading, and writing. Many ulpanim also instruct olim in the fundamentals of Israeli culture, history, and geography.
This poster was published in the late 1940s or 1950s. During these years, Israel was absorbing hundreds of thousands of new immigrants and doubled its Jewish population. The new Hebrew language had to be taught to all of them, and this was seen as a national campaign.