Many tutors, therefore, worry that the moment lessons end, the clients' interest in Judaism ends as well. One method is to include more material on Jewish culture and holiday practices in the lessons. It's also important, tutors say, to involve the students with creative teaching methods. Another East Bay Hebrew tutor, Bracha Serri, encourages students to write poems and stories in Hebrew about their relatives and other role models. This does not help form a Jewish identity.
Some success stories show the impact a melamed can have on a family's Jewish identity.
One tutor recalls a student who needed help preparing for his bar mitzvah. When the tutoring began, nobody in the household knew any Hebrew. But after the bar mitzvah, the whole family joined a congregation because they had so enjoyed the language lessons. And he did it. I felt so good to be a part of this mitzvah.