A Hebrew school is a Jewish educational institution that focuses on Jewish history, learning the Hebrew language, and finally learning one's Torah portion in preparation for the coming-of-age ceremony in Judaism. Classes are usually taught in dedicated rooms at a synagogue under the instruction of a Hebrew teacher (who may or may not be fluent in Hebrew), often receiving support from a hazzan for learning the ancient chanting of a student's Torah portion and from a rabbi during the ceremony, owing to the fact that a Torah scroll is typically very challenging for a student to read because it lacks Hebrew vowel markings while also having very condensed text with minimal line spacing.
Hebrew schooling can be either an educational regimen separate from secular education, in a similar fashion to Sunday school among Christians; education focusing on topics of Jewish history and learning the Hebrew language; or a primary-, secondary-, or college-level educational institution in which some or all of the classes are taught in Hebrew. The first usage is more common in the United States, while the second is used elsewhere bar Israel—for example, in reference to the Colegio Hebreo Unión in Barranquilla, Colombia, or the Associated Hebrew Schools in Toronto, Canada.