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April 24, 2009
Learning Hebrew 101
New kids DVD launched to make Hebrew fun.
LAUREN KRAMER
When you're passionate about language, Judaism, children and music, it makes sense to combine the four and, at the same time, make a contribution to your Jewish community. That was the thinking behind Yeladudes Media, a new venture by Moshik Ben-Shlomo and Yael Shamir-Elron, two Israeli transplants to Vancouver.
The business partners recently launched what can only be described as an international product: three DVDs made by Israeli company Clasikaletet, produced in Taiwan and packaged in Vancouver. Two DVDs contain Hebrew songs with English and Hebrew subtitles and Hebrew phonetics, while the third contains classic Israeli children's stories by well-known Israeli media personalities Yaron London and Nurit Galron.
"This is not for the Israeli population in Vancouver, as most of them will know these DVDs and likely already have them in their collection," said Shamir-Elron, who works by day as development co-ordinator at Vancouver Talmud Torah. "Our intention is to market them to the English-speaking Jewish population who perceive Hebrew as part of their culture and connection to Judaism and want their kids exposed to it in a fun way, through songs, stories and entertainment."
Shamir-Elron's two older children learned English the same way when they arrived in Canada six years ago, prompting her realization of how powerful music can be in language instruction. "The subtitles are there so that parents can sing along with their kids," she explained. "These DVDs bring entertainment in Hebrew so that kids can see it's something enjoyable, not just a language they learn in a classroom."
The DVDs, titled 5 Balloons, I Also Want a Hug and 100 First Songs are appropriate for children aged two through six years, and cost $19.95. I Also Want a Hug is the most contemporary DVD, recorded by popular Israeli singer Yehudit Ravitz and featuring Ravitz and her daughter, Ela.
The DVDs can be purchased at www.yeladudesmedia.com, and buyers may select a local Jewish institution of their choice to whom the company will contribute seven per cent of the purchase.
"It's a token of our appreciation to the organization for helping our new business in its first steps, as well as a way of showing that these Jewish organizations are important to us," Shamir-Elron said.
She and Ben-Shlomo hope to add more DVDs for other age groups in the future.
Lauren Kramer is a Vancouver freelance writer.
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