Home: Testimonials
Hebrew Ready students are raving about their experiences.
Here's what they're saying...
Parent Rachel R. on her son's success with Hebrew:
Ellen has tutored my son in Hebrew for several months now. I have been very impressed by how well she knows him and accommodates her teaching methods to his style of learning. In fact, I was so pleased, I've signed up for her classes myself! I would highly recommend anyone interested in learning Hebrew or wanting a refresher to take one of her classes.
Bat Mitzvah student Megan P. on conquering her fears:
My Bat Mitzvah was a blast! Everything went the way it was planned and I did great. The only thing I would change about it would be Friday night. I was so nervous but as I started to participate in the service I felt so much more comfortable. By Saturday morning it felt like I had been doing it all my life! There was really nothing to worry about after all. As long as you have got your part down and have your Hebrew perfected, you have nothing to worry about. Ellen Schaffer is the best tutor for this job because she gives you this opportunity. Having fun and learning with her was a great experience and an excellent way to prepare for my special day. Ellen is very knowledgeable and patient. She helped me realize that there was really nothing to be afraid of. Ellen is truly a spectacular tutor and I would recommend her to any Bar or Bat Mitzvah.
Parent Ronnie T. on watching her son gain confidence:
Ellen did a wonderful job of preparing our son, Alex, for his Bar Mitzvah. When Alex began working with Ellen, he was nervous and uncertain about his ability to lead the service, remember all of the blessings, and read from the Torah. With Ellen's encouragement and support, Alex became increasingly comfortable and was confident and composed on the day of his Bar Mitzvah. It seems to me that Ellen still remembers very clearly how she felt as a nervous Bat Mitzvah, which allowed her to connect with Alex and teach him from her personal experience.
Student Jackie S. on her new confidence and knowledge:
I was very fortunate to have Ellen Schaffer as my Hebrew instructor this summer. She is an outstanding teacher! As I am an adult learner of an entirely new language, I found it bewildering at times. She was very patient and was able to clarify so many of the issues I had. I always felt uplifted and much more sure of myself after the class. She was encouraging and helped us to move forward in our ability to read and understand all the grammatical quirks. I have a new confidence and knowledge that Ellen was most influential in building. I would recommend her classes to everyone that is interested in studying Hebrew. Many, many thanks!
Student Sandy R. on learning as an adult:
Ellen Schaffer has a great style of teaching Hebrew to adults. She makes it fun and
does not get frustrated by my slow pace. I have taken Hebrew as an adult with teachers from other places and they were not as patient with their adults students as Ellen is. She breaks down the Hebrew letters into small groups and uses a lot of good repetition drills. This helps me to remember the letters and gain confidence. I can tell she enjoys what she does and I enjoy learning with her!
Parent Nancy A. and daughter Sofia on her achievements in learning:
Now that Sofia's Bat Mitzvah has so wonderfully concluded, I want to thank you for her excellent tutoring sessions. I asked Sofia how it was that she was able to so easily learn her Hebrew under your tutelage. She told me that you let her choose the method that suited her and made her feel most comfortable. That was the first key to success.
Another aspect leading to Sofia's good result was your joint goal setting. You seemed to sense just the right amount of study that would challenge her but would not send her over the edge of frustration or worry.
Additionally important to Sofia was your ability to keep her calm as a student. When the language seemed overwhelming, you broke the larger groupings into manageable parts. You were always calm, never judgmental. Your patience is outstanding! You just keep moving ahead one vowel at a time.
You instill confidence in your students by acknowledging their small victories which in turn inspires them to keep going to achieve their goal.
Your instructions are easy to understand and that, I believe, made the Torah study much more approachable for Sofia. A lot of people cannot imagine learning to chant Torah as it seems so unattainable. Your step-by-step instructions and practice make it almost routine.
Thank you again for your kind attention and time. Sofia had a great time studying with you. Your voice is beautiful and that too is a benefit with a tutor. We will keep your cantillation CDs!
Parent JoAnn G. on her son's Bar Mitzvah training:
Being new in the area, I did not know what to expect from a tutor. My son has been going to Hebrew school for seven years and needed training for his Bar Mitzvah this year. Our experience was great. It was non-stressful. From the first session, lessons were focused on basic learning of the Torah and continued on his level until he was reading without hesitation. Every week, I watched him progress and feel more confident about his upcoming Bar Mitzvah. Ellen knows the language very well and helped him to understand the meaning of what he was reading also. We are very happy with the tutoring he has received and would highly recommend Ellen to anyone who is looking for a reliable and knowledgeable tutor!
Parent Simone H. on how energizing the lessons were:
My Daughter needed to prepare for her Bat Mitzvah. Ellen was very motivating, patient and always offered positive encouragement. We squeezed tutoring in, in-between school and activities and as unfocussed as my Daughter went into tutoring, she always came out re-charged, feeling good about her progress and clear about her next assignments. Ellen was easy to work with, knowledgeable, calm, organized and very accommodating. We would definitely recommend her to anyone wanting to study Hebrew. My Daughter couldn't have done it without her!
Parent Joel C. on the stress-free experience:
Wow! Doing a terrific job preparing my daughter for her Big Event seemed to come naturally for Ellen. But what makes her extra special in what she does is that she takes away all the stress and anxiety from the kids (and parents too) and talks to them in "their language." In order to teach and get results, one needs to communicate. Ellen gets an A++ in both.
Adult learner Rivka B. on learning Hebrew for the first time:
Hebrew is an incredible language which takes constant practice to learn the sounds, letters and vowels. In the summer of 2006, Ellen Schaffer kindly tutored some of the Adult Bar Mitzvah class. Her approach was very clear and gentle, showered in patience. I felt very relaxed with learning the Hebrew language. Amazing enough, Ellen's quiet passion for learning Hebrew made me passionate about the language. As a result of the summer sessions I now feel comfortable reading Hebrew - even the V'ahavta!
Parent Jodi G. on her son's triumph with tutoring:
My son Jesse requested a tutor for his Bar Mitzvah... Hebrew had not come easily for him in the 5th grade...His tutor Ellen always made Jesse feel successful. Jesse enjoyed practicing and preparing for his tutoring sessions with Ellen. She made it seem easy to him! He was extremely ready for his big day and recited beautifully!
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