English | Alumot

Alumot

Alumot is a Hebrew center for education and culture, established as a non-profit organization in September 2017 in Cambridge, England.

What we do

Every Sunday we meet for Hebrew classes for children of all ages- Birth to 18.

Literacy is taught alongside vocabulary. Hebrew is taught by Hebrew-speakers in Hebrew, something that did not exist in Cambridge before.

Alumot aspires to equip the children with universal and humanistic values, nurturing leadership and social-environmental responsibility, using an open-minded approach and a curriculum that encourages tolerance and multiculturalism.

In September 2023 a new enterprise will rise for our youth- an Israeli scouts group.

In addition to children education, Alumot offers adult education and cultural events.

But Alumot is so much more than that.

When a member of our community gives birth, we rally to cook meals for her family. When a new family joins, we give them a warm welcome. And when a member is sick and needs help with the children, we all chip in. We had all these things happen in the past year, and lots more. We had a sing-along in Hebrew, planted flowers in Tu Bishvat, lit candles and ate latkes on Hannukah, celebrated Purim with a big, exuberant party and held a cheesecake competition in Shavuot.

How it started

Having lived in Cambridge for several years, we, a group of Israeli parents, realized that there was an unmet need in our community. There are roughly a hundred Israeli families who have relocated to Cambridge, mainly from Israel, with many keen to retain and continue developing their children's Hebrew language and identity. We needed a place where we could celebrate the Hebrew and Jewish culture, listen to modern Israeli music, hear lectures in Hebrew, watch recent Israeli films, and generally interact in our native tongue and teach our children the language which is an integral part of our identity. Hebrew is much more than a language for us. It’s a way of life. This is the basic premise behind Alumot.

The name ‘Alumot’

We named the project Alumot (in Hebrew: rays; sheaves), as it aspires to be a guiding ray of light for newly arrived Israeli families, and a community which bundles into sheaves everyone who values the Hebrew language and the Jewish and the Israeli culture.

An integral part of the Jewish community

The link to the local Jewish community is one of the core principles of Alumot. We strive to work together with the Jewish community on holidays and on numerous other occasions.

How we are funded

Alumot is a not-for-profit organization. All activities are funded by membership fees. We believe the community should be driven by its members and shaped by their interests, talents and skills. Parent involvement in Alumot is entirely voluntary, with everyone contributing in any way they can - ensuring kids’ safety and security, organizing festive activities on Jewish holidays, outings etc.

For more information and any questions email:

y airperry@gmail.com for scouts related queries

shaked@alumot.uk for everything else