Full Breakdown
Ami Steinberger’s Ulpan La-Inyan: A Private Hebrew School’s Rise and Evolution
By Drooid · · How we work
Founding and Growth
On August 18, 2008, Ami Steinberger held his first Hebrew class in his Katamon living room, beginning with four students. Within two months he was teaching two simultaneous courses at the American Association for Community Integration (AACI) and hired a second instructor. Today the school, Ulpan La-Inyan, employs 80–90 teachers across multiple time zones and serves roughly 2,000 learners each year through both in-person and online formats. Its client base includes companies, embassies, gap-year programs, and individual students from North America, South America, Mexico, and Europe, as well as non-Jewish Jerusalem residents seeking workplace integration.
Conversational Methodology
Steinberger, who grew up bilingual in Los Angeles and made aliyah in 1994, argues that traditional government ulpanim emphasize theory over practice. He developed scripted lessons that repeat vocabulary at precise intervals, embedding new words in natural, relevant conversation rather than flashcards. He describes the approach as “a car” compared with the “horse and buggy” of conventional ulpan teaching.
Online Expansion and AI Experiments
Before the COVID-19 pandemic, online private lessons accounted for no more than 10 % of the school’s clientele. “Before corona, we offered only private lessons online, not group lessons, and that segment constituted no more than 10% of our clientele. Since corona, 50% of our students participate online, in private and group classes,” — Ami Steinberger, FOUNDER Since the pandemic, about 50 % of students now participate in private or group classes online. The school is piloting a hybrid model that pairs a digital course with real-time human interaction to help learners confront “fadihot, those embarrassing mistakes.” “This enables you to experience fadihot, those embarrassing mistakes, together and get past them,” — Ami Steinberger, FOUNDER
Impact and Reach
Students commonly struggle with pronunciation of the Hebrew letters het and hay, as well as verb conjugations. Steinberger observes that limited Hebrew fluency can undermine immigrants’ self-esteem, even when they hold advanced academic credentials. He contends that conversational Hebrew is increasingly central to Jewish identity in the diaspora, especially among non-Orthodox communities.
Verbatim Quotes
- “I like to think we started that trend,” — Ami Steinberger, FOUNDER
- “Pronunciation can be difficult to master,” — Ami Steinberger, FOUNDER
- “Before corona, we offered only private lessons online, not group lessons, and that segment constituted no more than 10% of our clientele. Since corona, 50% of our students participate online, in private and group classes,” — Ami Steinberger, FOUNDER
- “This enables you to experience fadihot, those embarrassing mistakes, together and get past them,” — Ami Steinberger, FOUNDER