Hillel Academy takes top prize in international Hebrew word challenge
With creation of "מעיכון," Pittsburgh Jewish day school students make meaning of language
Hillel Academy of Pittsburgh first graders faced a scholastic challenge. Amid a year of critical learning — first graders at Hillel Academy are typically tasked with developing English and Hebrew reading and writing skills, mastering basic math, time-telling and social competencies — students were asked to create a new Hebrew word.
The assignment, which stemmed from a global initiative spearheaded by the World Zionist Organization, required adherence to grammatical principles, according to first grade teacher Chen Ifergan.
Students couldn’t just mash letters together; there were rules to be followed, she said.
A Hebrew word is usually built from a root, called a shoresh. Prefixes, suffixes and vowel changes adapt each shoresh into new words.
Inventing a word requires understanding grammar, language usage and culture, according to Nitzan Barzilay-Zeff, recruitment and operations coordinator for WZO’s Department of Education.
Judges from the Academy of the Hebrew Language wanted a word that not only followed linguistic guidelines but was “suitable for students of any age,” Barzilay-Zeff said, speaking by phone from Jerusalem.
After hearing the referees’ requests, Barzilay-Zeff disseminated the educational charge to shlichim (emissaries) worldwide.
“Across the world, we oversee 260 people who teach Hebrew, Israel and Judaic studies in 110 schools,” she said.
Ifergan is one. Her husband, Rabbi Evyatar Ifergan, is another.
Since arriving in Pittsburgh two years ago, the Ifergans have “made learning come to life,” Hillel Academy Elementary School Judaic Principal Rabbi Oren Levy said. This project was “just another example.”
Included within the challenge was a need to document the process. As such, photographs were taken. Video was recorded. But the footage submitted didn’t just demonstrate pondering students. Judges wanted to see an additional component.
“There is a phrase in Hebrew — ochlim et ha’ivrit b’li melech — it doesn’t translate well but it sort of means ‘piece of cake,’” Barzilay-Zeff said. “The idea is that you can eat it, Hebrew, so easily it doesn’t need salt.”
As a nod to the figurative expression, students were asked to display their new words in the form of cookies. To ease the process, WZO sent colorful molds in the shape of Hebrew letters to emissaries worldwide.
More than a month ago, Chen Ifergan received a set. She and her students opened the package and continued working.
She asked her pupils about their interests, she said, in an effort to “find a word that was relevant to them.”
Students considered Ifergan’s inquiry and began bringing in prized possessions. One item appeared more commonly in the classroom than others: squishies.
Sort of like a mashup between a marshmallow and a stuffed animal, the soft squeezable toys beloved by children are popular worldwide. The craze is so great that both The Week and The Independent have dedicated articles to understanding how scores of adults are also fixated on the little foam playthings.
In Hebrew, there’s no translation for squishy or squashy: There’s m’icha, which means crushing or squeezing, but no real equivalent to describe the cherished toy. Ifergan’s students took the Hebrew word m’icha and added a suffix consisting of the Hebrew letters vuv and nun. Those two letters changed the base word m’icha into m’ichon.
Creation wasn’t merely conceptual, though.
With molds in hand, students flattened dough and cut each letter. The young learners then assembled their sugar cookies and composed a corresponding rationale.
“We created the word m’ichon from a base and suffix,” the students wrote in Hebrew. “Many children in the world enjoy playing with the small toy. They love squeezing it and feeling its flexibility.”
Levy and Ifergan documented the process and sent the materials and explanation abroad — the cookies stayed in Pittsburgh.
Weeks later, WZO announced that 50 schools worldwide had submitted entries. Hillel Academy took top prize.
Judges from the Academy of the Hebrew Language, Israel’s leading authority on Hebrew language, complimented the young Pittsburghers for taking a word base, adding a suffix and “beautifully explaining” how the linguistic creation operates.
“Adding a vuv and nun to the end of the word is reminiscent of words for games like sivivon (spinner) and afifon (kite),” the judges wrote. “The word, m’ichon, is cute and fun and makes you want to play.”
Days after speaking with the Chronicle, Levy was set to travel to Israel for another engagement. Given the recent announcement, he now plans to stop at the WZO headquarters to receive a prize.
Barzilay-Zeff said she’s looking forward to meeting the educator, presenting him with a certificate and games for the students and hearing more about Hillel Academy and the Pittsburgh Jewish community.
Back in her first grade classroom, Ifergan said the students are excited about the win, and so is she.
“One of the reasons we came here was to teach Hebrew, and to increase the Israeli spirit in America,” she said. “Being able to teach about all the rules of Hebrew, and then winning this kind of contest with the class is extra special.”
“As Hillel Academy educators, we try to showcase to our students that real-world learning involves every subject,” Levy said. “The first graders just started studying Parshat Bereishit, where Hashem created the world with lashon hakodesh (holy language). It’s nice for the first graders to know that they also participated in creation — they were part of creating a word in Hebrew on their level.”
Educators appreciate that attention spans are short and students quickly shift to new interests. The hope, however, is “these connections last a lifetime,” he continued. “Maybe some of these kids will one day move to Israel. Maybe they’ll have kids and those kids will use the word m’ichon. And maybe our students will remember that, back in Pittsburgh in 2025, they were the first ones to use that word, and they added it to the Hebrew language.” PJC
Adam Reinherz can be reached at areinherz@pittsburghjewishchronicle.org.
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