The theme for this month’s column is “teamwork and collaboration”. Hearing Interpreters are very visible when they work in Jewish Settings. Most of their work is in a synagogue setting, often on the bimah. People find it fascinating to watch their religion come to life through the hands and body of the interpreter.

Many interpreters are able to interpret “from Hebrew” into ASL [or perhaps referring to the English while the service/speaker continues in Hebrew]. In the eyes of the hearing participants, this makes them the “experts” in Jewish Sign Language and the Deaf Community. How often have you as a deaf person attended an interpreted service, only to find the interpreter swarmed with attention (like a celebrity) after the service is over? Everyone is fascinated an has many questions to ask the interpreter.

Because of this attention and visibility, interpreters are also often contacted to be “Guest Speakers” about Jewish Sign Language and Deafness.

I have been a certified interpreter for 13 years and have been interpreting in Jewish settings for 12 years. I will admit that I have received my share of attention from fascinated hearing people and have been invited numerous times to lecture about Jewish Sign Language.

Over the past few years, I have realized the “danger” or “error” of what I have been doing. I now feel as a hearing person, it is inappropriate for me to speak “on behalf” of the deaf community. I attribute my “enlightenment” in part to the work of Marla Berkowitz and Naomi Brunn. They have developed an important model of teamwork and collaboration.

Here are a few practical examples of how I have changed my interpreting/lecturing behavior in accordance with the model:

Prior to any Judaic interpreting assignment, I try to work in a three-way collaboration with a Jewish Scholar/Rabbi myself-deaf consumer(s), to discuss everything from logistics to clear/meaningful translations of prayer. I try to help the sponsoring organization make contact with a deaf person/organization to work on publicizing the event (rather than taking on that role myself).

If approached after a service with questions about signing/interpreting, I try to draw-in a few deaf people nearby to help me answer the questions [or I at least sign the questions and answers, so the deaf people know what the hearing attendees are asking about and can add in their own responses as well].

If asked to present to a group (religious school class, camp program, adults) about Judaism and Deafness, I try to find/recommend a Deaf Speaker instead, and offer to serve as this speaker’s interpreter. [I will confess that if the deaf person wishes, we make arrangements for me to “step out of my role” a few times during the presentation to answer any questions the deaf person feels unable to answer]

These examples are only the Tip of the iceberg” in terms of finding ways to give the ownership back to the Deaf Community. Perhaps Marla and/or Naomi will write a guest column soon to explain their model more fully. Till later…. Email: [email protected] or FAX 215-682-9642

Teaching Hebrew
To follow up on Naomi Brunn’s column from last month, I would like to share my experiences as well. In addition to being a certified interpreter, I am also a certified teacher of the deaf. For several years, I worked as a Religious School Teacher for a small class of deaf students (all boys). All of my students were approaching Bar Mitzvah age.

Several years later, I also served as both the teacher and interpreter for three deaf adult woman who were studying for their Bat Mitzvah.

I am not fluent in Hebrew, but am trained in “language developments and “second language acquisitions. I have experience in teaching English to deaf children and adults as a second language as well as teaching ASL to hearing adults as a second language.

I agree with Naomi, in theory, that any teacher of Conversational Hebrew should not only be fluent in Modern Hebrew, but also a trained Language Teacher. I fell into the same trap as millions of Sunday School teachers who merely Keep one chapter ahead” of their students.

My role was to teach my students “rudimentary” (basic) prayer book Hebrew. Each student then went on to work with a signing rabbi to complete their Bar/Bat Mitzvah training.

As for the HOW TO, the students all followed a curriculum similar to the hearing students at their school: learning to identify the letters of the alphabet [matching to corresponding letter of our alphabet, reaming ISL (Israel Sign Language) handshape, and “oral. pronunciation] learning to “read” word phonetically [by spelling out in ASL handshapes and/or pronouncing words – student’s decision] learning to sign basic prayers. For example candle/ wine/bread blessings, Shema, Borchu, Torah Blessings, etc.

This involved first

spelling out in ASL handshapes or pronouncing each word, then
learning the translation/ meaning of each word (which many hearing kids never learn!),
learning to sign each blessing/prayer as a textual unit, and finally
signing the prayer “by heart”. According to each person’s communication preference, some students preferred to focus more on oral only, sign only, or talking and signing together.
Of course, all of these language lessons were within a larger context of understanding the meaning of our Shabbat service, purpose for why we pray, as well as the meaning and background of each prayer we studied.

Perhaps other readers would like to share their experience as Hebrew Language teacher or learner. . . what worked. . . what didn’t work??