Integrating into Life in Israel

I have probably mentioned this in another blog post, but one of the best things I have done to help in feeling a part of the community where I live, is to start a Gemach. It does not matter what Gemach you begin, but giving to others and taking the time to interact with Hebrew speakers is a wonderful way to get to know the system, your neighbours, to improve your Hebrew and much, much more. 

Our latest two Kallot, both orphaned from their mother, were born in Israel to Israeli parents. Needless to say, in order to interact with them we have to speak in Hebrew. As I SMS'd the step-mother of one, in Hebrew, and prepared an email to the other, in Hebrew, I had to stop myself.

I have been Israel for over 12 years and I came here knowing the Alef Beit and a few simple phrases to say or ask in Hebrew. More than that, I was stuck. I could not really read and could not write at all. But I forced myself to speak whenever the situation arose and to keep working on reading, writing, typing, speaking. 

I am not yet completely fluent, but every day I notice something more that I have accomplished. Yes, I do still need to check my spelling and then have my husband proof read what I have typed or written. I do still make mistakes when speaking but I am not afraid to ask a Hebrew speaker to describe a word so that I can understand or how to say x and to give a description of the word or tense I need. 

For those looking for a way to integrate into life in Israel, the best thing I can suggest is to help others. Volunteer, start a Gemach, go to shiurim or events and make an effort to learn the language. By giving to others you will benefit in ways you never expected possible.

Enjoy the blessing of being in Eretz Yisrael. It is the most special place to be.

Have a very blessed day

Shoshanah Shear

Occupational Therapist

The Story of Eliezer ben Yehuda and Modern Hebrew (Video Clip)

This is a wonderful short animated video of the story of modern Hebrew. Enjoy!

The Wonders of the Hebrew Alphabet

Hebrew is a fascinating language. The more one learns the more one realizes how special this language is.

Here is a quick but powerful video of how the Hebrew letters are hidding within the Magein David.

How good is your Hebrew? 

You will need to know the letters to be able to recognise this wonder. 

Learning Hebrew 2

I was looking for a YouTube video of the Aleph Bet song that is Tzenua as in sung by a man and not a woman. What a treat to find a friend of mine had made a cute video clip.

Rabbi Shalom Gold of the Old City is so much fun. His shiurim are wonderful and one of his expertise is DikDuk, Hebrew grammar.

This YouTube video will teach you all about the Hebrew Alphabet, for English speakers. 

So here is a treat, I really hope you enjoy.

Learning Hebrew

As mentioned in a previous post, if you are coming to Israel, you will need to learn Hebrew.
Here is a short clip of some useful words and phrases.

Hope you enjoy. 

Hebrew - Do I Need To Learn It?

When moving to a new country, it is always advisable to learn the language of the country. Israel is no different. Even though there are Jews here from all over and therefore many languages spoken, there is a national language and it is beneficial to learn Hebrew.

Can you get away without doing so. Yes, but with repercussions, here are two examples:

1) Some years ago I was working with a little girl in South Africa who had come from Israel for medical treatment. Many of her relatives had also come to offer support, amongst them were her two grannies. One of the grannies was a native Israeli, the other was South African and had made Aliya with her husband and children, when her children were teenagers. This granny managed to create a life for herself in Israel even without Hebrew. But, here was a powerful eye opener.

Her son had married an Israeli and Hebrew was the main language spoken in their house. Their children spoke almost only Hebrew and now came a problem. The granny had a language barrier with her own grandchild. She could read stories to her grandchild in English, but her grandchild wanted to hear Hebrew and granny did not manage to read in Hebrew. She could chat to her grandchild in English, thus providing another language for her, but her grandchild answered in Hebrew and granny sometimes needed a translator.

2) When I had been in Israel for about 18 months, I happened to be on a tiyul to certain Kivrei Tzaddikim and the woman sitting next to me had been in Israel for 26 or more years. She too had made Aliya from an English speaking country and had been too busy to do her ulpan. So in all the years she has been here, she just managed without Hebrew.

At a certain stage along the tiyul, the tour guide tapped on the microphone and made some comments about the area we were driving past. He did this in Hebrew and it was a joy to understand what he had said. Looking out the window at what he was describing, my thoughts were interrupted by a tap on my arm. It was my neighbour, the lady who had been here for 26 or more years. "Did you understand him? You look like you understood. Can you please translate for me?"

Being able to converse, read and write in Hebrew is very useful for banking, post office, shopping, talking to Bezek, setting up your internet, Iria, finding good work and more. The truth is, with many of these you can find an option to get around Hebrew. For me, one of the more crucial needs for knowing the language of the country is to feel completely at home. I can think of nothing worse than a language barrier with ones own grandchild, or wanting to understand a tour guide and having to ask someone who has been in Israel for a fraction of the time you have, to please translate.

On a different note, it is a wonderful feeling to take a course related to your profession in Hebrew. Or to walk down the road and have someone ask directions in Hebrew, understand and be able to rely correctly. These kinds of experiences help one to feel as though you belong, while also opening up more opportunities for you.

Misrad HaKlita does cover the cost of Ulpan for 5 months. In addition for those with a medical profession there is a medical Ulpan. I would highly recommend doing these. If you struggle with working out timing of how to fit in your Ulpan with all the things to do in the first few months, do discuss this with your Aliya counselor or you can contact Shoshanah Shear, Occupational Therapist for a consultation to work out how to pace your Aliya, including learning some planning and time management skills.

For those wanting to begin right now, learning a word a day, a sentence a day, join up with Ulpan La Inyan and you can receive an email daily with a word a day. It is fun and very beneficial to get to know new words and build up your vocabulary. They also have classes, you can find out about on their website.