[img]96|left|||no_popup[/img] Dateline Jerusalem — B”H (Be'ezrat HaShem, which means “With G-d's help”).
Shalom (Hello, and also “goodbye,” which literally means “peace”).
Often I write about my inability to learn Ivrit (Hebrew) although I have lived in Israel for 1 1/2 years. I have written about a friend who, after 30 years, still can only speak Anglit (English), and about other friends who also have problems with the language.
However, they blame it on having learning disabilities. So they claim. What is my excuse? I always have been the person whom people would come to when they wanted to know something that happened years ago, something that was said, something that was written.
I was thought to have had both a photographic and audio-graphic memory. The only learning disability I had was my inability to show up for class at UCLA when I was playing bridge all night long. It is amazing that I graduated and am an orechet din (female attorney) today.
The problem I have now is that I work for an American company.
So everything I do is in English.
English Definitely Is Spoken Here
Although services at my beit knesset (synagogue) are in Hebrew, I belong to an Anglo synagogue. As soon as prayers are over, everyone speaks in English. The members are mostly from the U.S., England, Scotland, Australia, South Africa and Canada.
Street signs in Israel are in English, Hebrew and Arabic. English is a second language for Israeli yeladim (children). Therefore, I could live in Israel and get along without ever speaking Hebrew. I could just say “Ani lo medeberet ivrit” (“I do not speak Hebrew”).
However, knowing Hebrew mamash (really) is a necessity.
I receive mail, and I do not know what it is about. I take out my Hebrew-English dictionary, and still I am at a loss. I can manage to read Hebrew letters and make their various sounds.
But I have no clue as to their meanings.
One tov (good) thing is that when telemarketers call and I say “Ani lo mevina ivrit” (“I do not understand Hebrew”), they hang up. They do not bother me again.
This shavua (week), I needed to download some software programs onto my machshev (computer).
The initial instructions to follow were in English. There was a box to check for preferred language.
I checked English. But once I started downloading onto my computer, all the instructions were in Hebrew.
It seems that since my computer was bought in Israel, something in the inner workings of it changes things into Hebrew. I feel that now I am forced to learn the language if I want to use my computer! I do not know why this is happening all of a sudden.
To help with this learning process, I bought a sefer (book) of stickers . I have attached them to various objects in my dira (apartment).
When I go out my delet (door) or open my cholon (window) or mekarer (refrigerator) or turn on my menorah (lamp), I look at the sticker and think of the mila (word).
Of course, stickers on my shulchan (table) and my sapa (sofa) do not exactly add to the ambiance of the room.
L'hitraot (literally “to see each other soon”).
Shachar is the Hebrew name of a California-based attorney and former Los Angeles County Sheriff’s deputy who moved to Israel last year.
