One of my own reactions to October 7 and its aftermath has been an almost obsessive need to connect with Israeli culture and language. I have watched almost exclusively Israeli television, listened to Israeli music, and, I signed myself up for Ulpan, a twice-weekly conversational Hebrew course. Those hours of just hearing the sounds of Hebrew have comforted me, given me strength, and connected me to Israel from so far away.

Having spent most of my academic time with Biblical Hebrew and Aramaic, diving deep into modern Hebrew is a delight. I love the connections—the way that ancient Hebrew expands to fit today’s needs, the way that English becomes Hebraicized when no other word will do, and the way that Arabic is so easily adopted into everyday conversation. More than other languages I have studied, Hebrew feels so vibrant and alive, and so very encapsulating of all that I love—and that which can frustrate me—about Israeli culture!

A few fun examples for this Tuesday morning, one from each category:

  1. In a video we watched about a particular food stand in Netanya, the story turned toward COVID19 and I learned how to say “admitted,” as in hospitalized. The Hebrew word,  (ushpaz) אושפז, struck me immediately as familiar—and might strike you too. The guests that we welcome, or admit, into our sukkah are known—from the Aramaic—as ushpizin. Same root, modern meaning!
  2. We all know that Israel is a Hi-Tech Nation, and over the last decade plus, an entire vocabulary has spun out of those technological advances. Like Jewish law, Jewish language did not have words for things like a computer, a smartphone, or Waze! My favorite of the words that have developed is the word for texting. Combining the use of SMS with the Hebrew 3-letter root system, Israelis now use the verb “לסמסם (l’samsem).”
  3. This year especially, it has been hard to remember that in many cities and neighborhoods, Jews and Arabs live, work, and communicate side-by-side, day after day. It is no surprise, then, that Arabic phrases have made their way into the Hebrew vernacular, used seamlessly in conversations and social media posts. Among my favorites is the exclamation חלאס (Halas)/enough! Usually used in exasperation, it captures a certain Middle Eastern spirit that I just love.

I am looking forward to practicing my Hebrew in Israel this summer. If you are going to be there too, please reach out!

— Rabbi Sari Laufer