Birthday party at the gan
Don't look for me; I'm on the run
Bank teller, saleswoman, or the teacher
Without Ivrit, I cannot reach her
Tonight is the P.T.A. -- I truly want to run away
Send my husband or send my brother
For me it's a tremendous bother
I don't want to wait another week
Teach me now how to speak
Just the way I learned to walk
I can also learn to TALK!
HEBREW!
What a magnificent language! The gateway to Torah, to prayer,
to kedusha and purity. The route to the heartbeat and
the warmth of Israel and Israelis. A whole rich and wondrous
world that opens up with one key: Hebrew. There's only one
snag -- can we understand Hebrew? And furthermore, can we
speak it?
Most people who have been here for a few years, have at least
a basic grasp of the language, and of course, many have much
more than that. The question most people ask themselves is,
"Is it worth investing the time and effort to become more
fluent in Hebrew? After all, so many people speak and
understand English. I can manage."
I remember that while I was in Ulpan in the Ashdod area, I
once had to travel to Tel Aviv, so I went with a friend to
the nearest bus stop on the main highway, and we waited
there. Shortly afterwards, a man came by and asked us
something about the buses. I answered him, "Harosh sheli
lo al hakvish," intending to convey that I was not
concentrating on the buses that were passing. What I
literally said was, "My head is not on the road." It was a
long time before I understood why he gave me such a strange
look.
Another memory... I was new in Israel, new to beaches and was
at the beach at Ashdod. The black flags were up. I had no
idea what they signified, and went into the water. After a
short while, to my horror, I felt myself being pulled by the
strong undercurrent -- out to sea. Shouting, "Help me!" above
the roar of the waves, when I knew that the women on the
beach spoke French, did nothing to reduce the rising panic. I
had no idea how to say, "Save me!" and that only increased my
desperation. The lifeguards didn't notice me. After several
minutes, somehow, I managed to break free, and by the grace
of Hashem, I am here today. (I don't know if a
`Hatzilu!' would have made the difference, but it sure
would have given me more confidence in my immediate
future!)
We all have our embarrassing linguistic memories, like, "No,
I'm sorry, you can't speak to my daughter now. She's in the
mekarer." WHAT? Freeze! "Oh, I meant the
miklachat." [Would my daughter ever live down the
embarrassment I caused her in mistaking the word for `shower'
and saying `fridge'?] Dear Earth, open up and swallow me
now!
In an intensive five and a half month Ulpan, I began my
Hebrew studies, gaining therein tremendously. My gift from
Heaven is a good ear, which I put to use listening, listening
all the time. Many years later, I started reading my
children's library books, and step by step, built up my
level.
Actually, I gained my language structure skills back home, in
New Zealand. Did I ever think then that one day I would be
eternally grateful to Mrs. Claire, who taught me English
grammar in fifth and sixth grades, and to Mrs. Olde, who
taught me Latin in seventh and eighth grades? [Not that these
languages resemble Hebrew, but knowledge of grammar rules
helps one be aware of the differences and assists in
interposing the various structures.]
Teaching Hebrew started as a casual arrangement with a
neighbor who wanted to improve her spoken Hebrew.
Subsequently, I decided to prepare formal lessons on various
subjects, amassing different material and revising basic
principles. I try to establish my students' strong points,
going on from there to fill in the gaps, and at the same
time, working on building confidence and fluency. In
addition, I recommend reading as much as possible, and tuning
`in' instead of tuning `out.'
So, is it worth the effort? Yes, it certainly is! Suddenly,
windows start opening in our minds; light starts flooding in,
and we start to acquire another world, perhaps the world for
which we came to Eretz Yisroel.
[For more information about having personalized Hebrew
lessons very reasonably priced in your own home in the
Jerusalem area, call the author at 5332-312.]
