Joined: 20 Mar 2008 Posts: 89 Country: United States
Posted: Sat Jun 21, 2008 1:22 am Title:
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Really, writing Hebrew is not hard, once you learn how to read/write it. Its really quite logical once you learn the rules and conjugations and such and all that jazz...from there you'll be reading and writing in no time. And then we will we conversing like this: ביברית!!!
I would be glad to be your tour guide, haha, but it would have to be in a couple of years when I am back in Israel, I think like either next year or the year after my "Senior" year in university I will be studying "Abroad" and might go back to Israel for a semester. I'd be happy to play tour guide.
Yea, it kinda sucks that I won't be going into the army or serving with any of my freinds like everyone else, but there is a slight possibility that one of my freinds (who is already a Paratrooper Lueitenant) (sp?) might sign up for a couple more years or turn "Career" so then I might be in it with him in too. I don't think I'll become a paratrooper, but there is still then someone "in my corner" so to speak.
And I would HIGHLY recommend almost any Israeli university for academic programs, especially in regards to science and technology. It is the nation of Jews, after all. I hate to be stereotypical, but thats kind of our "thing". We have more scientists/engineers per capita than any other country, so many so that there is not enough work in the field for all of them! Now they are very different "Feel" than most american universities, so if you want an American "college experience" (I did, for some reason) go to an american university, at least for a couple of semesters. But for grad work or whatever, definately look to Israel.
I was brought to tears last Christmas when my friend bought me this ultra-expensive inking pens for drawing. One of them wasn't for drawing, though, I noticed--it was a brush-like pen. I asked her what it was for and she told me, "Oh, that one's for writing Hebrew! I thought it would be easier to write in it with that one!" and it is!!! I love her to death for it! Oh, yeah, I've read that new Israeli citizens have to learn Hebrew--which makes perfect sense, of course. I don't know why we don't do that...the U.S gets tons on immigrants.
I won't be in college for another four years, so I think that'd work out fine! So you're a junior this year, senior next year? Or a senior this year, out of college next year?
I put it in spell check--it's Lieutenant Paratrooper! ^^ Oh, wait, flip that--Paratrooper Lieutenant! Oh, yeah, that'll be nice! I was telling my friends about how I never knew it was mandatory for Israeli men and women to serve in the army and found out that a couple of my friend's dads almost went into war! One had an injury, though, and the other decided to go to college.
I've always wanted to go to schools that break the bank--I was thrilled with the idea of going Ivy League not too long ago. But there are so many scandals going on inside American universities--besides, up until a phase about a week ago, I've always wanted to go to a university abroad. Israel would be perfect! Scenic, relatively peaceful, no irresponsibility--I'm in! Haha, you have a point, though! There are a lot of Jewish doctors, engineers, and lawyers here in the U.S. It's a good fact. ^^
Joined: 20 Mar 2008 Posts: 89 Country: United States
Posted: Tue Jun 17, 2008 1:10 am Title:
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Haha, yeah New Yorkers are quite strange. Honestly, they are, for the most part (with a few exceptions) my least favorite people. Especially when they insist on pronouncing Hebrew improperly. Its ADONAI, not Adonoy, and its SHABBAT not Shabbos, and you say "ET" not "Es", r-tard! "Es" is yiddish for eat. Et is a placeholder in Hebrew, Jesus.
The Language you are thinking of is Ladino. It is a mixture of mostly Old (High Castillan) Spanish, and Hebrew, with a mix of Portugese, Arabic and others in there as well.
I am half-sephardic and half-ashkenazic. But I consider myself more sephardic than ashkenazic, especially when it comes to religious rituals because I enjoy the sephardic culture more and the sefardic minhag (tradition, liturgy, etc) seems to apply to me more. My dad's family is from Spain and Greece by way of Russia. Short version of the story: after the Roman expulsion (Diaspora) my dad's family settled in southern and central spain (around Valencia, Cordoba, Sevilla and Toledo. And possibly some branches in Cadiz, but I'm not sure). After the inquisition, instead of heading to Morocco, like most, or even Ottoman Turkey, my dads family went to then-Ottoman-Controlled Greece, settling around Thessaloniki (Salonika), but it was only a breif stay on their way to Russia (for some reason) where we stayed until the mid-1800s living amongst ashkenazis, picking up some of their customs, and keeping our own as well, but adopting their pale skin color, until we then went to the USA and Israel (what was then called Ottoman Southern Syria, or British Mandatory Palestine). My family name has undergone many changes. It was originally changed in the time of te maccabees to ΑΛΕΧΑΝΔΡΟΣ (Alexandros) after Alexander the Great, then after the diaspora, to Alejandros, then back to Αλεχανδροσ then to the Russian Aleksandr, then to Zenders, then finally to our current last name, Sanders.
Aramaic isn't actually that old, comparatively. Compared to biblical Hebrew, it is a very young language, as it developed probably about 500 years before or after the building of the second temple (with mixing of the Babylonian/Persian languages into the Jewish psyche, they adapted and changed their language over time during their captivity) and its not any harder to pronounce than Hebrew. Writing, thats another story.
No, I have not yet done my military service (sadir) of at least 3 years for boys yet, because for the past few years have been living in Chicago with my mother, and so I don't have to do it until I go back. I will be going back within the next few years though (As soon as I finish school) and am going to do my military service then (ironically, as soon as all my friends are getting out, or as we say "ad matai"--that's slang, not literal translation). I want to be a fighter, in a combat unit, like Nahal or the armor (tanks).
You should come, we'd be glad to have you! (and your tourist money, haha). But what school were you looking at? Are you talking about Universities? Because Israel has probably one of the highest levels of upper-level accademia/accademics per capita in the world, and some of the greatest flagship universities in the world.
Theres the Technion in Haifa, the Chaim Weitzmann Institute of Science in Rehovot, Tel Aviv University, Haifa University, Hebrew University in Jerusalem, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev (campuses in Eilat and Be'er Sheva), Bar-Ilan University in Ramat Gan, IDC Herzeliya and many other smaller schools...
Aren't they, though?! My friend's mom says "cwoffee", not "coffee". I read somewhere that almost half of the world's Jews live in New York. Is that true?
Ladino! That's what it is! I don't know why I couldn't remember that--it's such an easy name!
Wow, you guys are able to track all of that?! Though, nowadays, they're even able to track African American's ancestors to the exact tribe. Isn't that amazing?! I was telling my friends I wanted to try that--see what tribe I could possibly come from--and how we became such a light color. I'm blonde-haired and blue-eyed, for goodness sake! Wow, it's amazing how many changes your last name went through--and it all ended up being a very American-sounding name. I think it's pretty cool how most German people, especially Jews, have last names that fit their professions. I was reading a WW2 novel based on someone's life and her uncle told her that the king gave all Jews of the time a last name according to their jobs. Is that just a fairytale or is it true?
Haha, now writing Hebrew to me is hard--I've never seen a written form of Aramaic, so I can't say it is or isn't hard to write!!!
Oh, wow, so you won't be serving with any of your friends?! Wow! I knew that the military is very important in Israel, but I didn't know serving in it was mandatory until I read Yael Naim's biography and found out that it was mandatory. She's a wonderful singer--I love how she sings in three different languages!
Haha, I don't think I'll have much money to come and buy up everything! But I assure you, I'll buy what I can! Hmm, maybe I could convince my friends to go with me, even... and you could be our tour guide! ^^
I think I might have to check out more schools there, then! Yes, I meant colleges...er, universties. I've also heard that Israel is the only country that hasn't had a terrorist attack or a plane crash because of one or something like that. I can't remember what it said exactly! But I'll have to research those universities--see if the part of the medical field I want to go into is one of their strong-points.
Joined: 20 Mar 2008 Posts: 89 Country: United States
Posted: Sat Jun 14, 2008 12:05 am Title:
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Ironically, most of the people who still speak with an ashkenazic accent are transplanted ex-Noo Yawkers. haha. But you're right in the sense that Ashkenazic pronounciation is similar to Yiddish--its basically Yiddish, except that they are (supposedly) speaking Hebrew, although one couldn't really tell. Sefardic Hebrew isn't really "like Aramaic", its just the proper pronunciation of Hebrew. While Aramaic (And Arabic for that matter) come from the same strain of the language tree, they are all separate languages and developed later. And yes, they sound similar, but only in the sense that Aramaic and Arabic are derivitives of, and spawned from sefardic, or "proper" Hebrew.
But yeah, in reality, this kind of differences only really occurs during religious ceremonies/with biblical Hebrew. When in the street and haggling over the price of some kafkafim, or in the army and reporting your matzav, its all pretty much standard Israeli Hebrew, but the minute you step into a synogogue, it will all change depending on whether its sefardic or ashkenazic, and even then it will change depending on where in that branch they stem: for ashkies, whether you're czech, russian, german, polish or something else, or for sefardim (like me, w00t!--well, technicaly, I'm chetzi chetzi, but I consider myself sefardi) it differs depending on if your Iberian sefardi like me (Spanish-w00t, portugese, Greek, Italian) or Mizrachi (arab world, Persian--egyptian, teimani, moroccan, etc etc) because while it is basically the same pronounciation, the mizrachim pronounce the ayin ע slightly different than most.
But its good to meet someone who is interested in this sort of thing. Have you ever been here?
Haha, and I KNOW that New Yorkers can't pronounce anything right! My friend's mom is from New York.
Yeah, I figured that it was pretty close, if not basically, Yiddish. There's another language...Spanish and Hebrew...oh, I feel terrible because I can't remember the name of it! Perhaps you do. ^^
I just know that Aramaic is really old--and really hard to pronounce!
Well, then that makes everything much easier! Now, speaking of the army...Israeli citizens are required to (unless ill or something like that) serve in the army for at least two years, right? Have you served your two years yet?
Awesome, so your family came to Israel from Spain? I have a book about the Inquisition--it's historical fiction, but the story is still very believable (and sad). I had a theory about my friend's family thanks to that book!
I've been interested in Hebrew and Israel and Judaism for...about five years now. No, I haven't but I would LOVE to visit Israel!!! I wanted to go to school there, anyway, and the school I was looking at (I believe) had a medical department... So I could learn Hebrew and attend medical school!!! That would be heaven!
Joined: 20 Mar 2008 Posts: 89 Country: United States
Posted: Fri Jun 13, 2008 12:38 am Title:
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No, it doesn't. But just fyi, Modern Hebrew and biblical Hebrew are different. There are some words/phrases/etc that either aren't used at all in Modern Hebrew compared to biblical, or their meaning is completely different. Also, pronunciation (at least for some people) is slightly different. For example: In Israel, we speak Sefardic (w00t) Hebrew--meaning there is no such this as a difference between tav and "sav" (its tet and tav) and they both have a "t" sound, instead of one sounding like a "t" and one having a "s" sound. For example, its "shabbat", not "shabbos" and its "et" not "es" etc etc. And people who live here (who are over the age of like mid-80s) pronounce their everyday spoken Hebrew this way, however, there is still a large amount of Ashkenazic (western european decent) Israeli Jews who, when they read the torah/pray/use biblical hebrew pronounce it in this counter-intuitive way of the "old way" which is, for all intents and purposes, incorrect. Not only because thats not how we speak, but also because that is not how the Ancient Israelites pronounced Hebrew. That pronounciation did not start until after 1000CE and Jews migration to places like Germany.
I didn't know the first part, but I knew a bit about the difference between Sefardic and Ashkenazic Hebrew. So Ashkenazic would be closer to Yiddish than Sefardic Hebrew...in a sense, right? And Sefardic would be closer to Aramaic than Ashkenazic Hebrew...in a sense? I know that not much of Hebrew and Aramaic is the same, but there are slight similiarities. And they both originated in the same part of the world.
Wow, so things can get confusing, huh? You say something one way and someone else says it a different way! I guess kinda like in the U.S--there are soooo many different accents and most of them are hard to understand. Like New York accents...gosh, they're so weird...
Joined: 20 Mar 2008 Posts: 89 Country: United States
Posted: Thu Jun 12, 2008 12:18 am Title:
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So, why are you learning hebrew, if you're not Jewish?
Well, I'd planned on being a Biblical scholar. Thanks to my wonderful science teacher, I suddenly became interested in medicine--again!
I made a promise to myself that I'd learn Hebrew (among many other languages). Besides, I've always been interested in Judaism--that'll never change! ^^ It never hurts to have different interests, no? [/code]
Joined: 20 Mar 2008 Posts: 89 Country: United States
Posted: Tue Jun 10, 2008 1:10 am Title:
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"afo" (איפו) means "where"
Sorry!!! I mixed that up badly, hmm? I'm teaching myself. -points to all the Hebrew dictionaries and things I have- When I can't quite translate what you say/ask, I have to look it up. ^^
Joined: 20 Mar 2008 Posts: 89 Country: United States
Posted: Thu Jun 05, 2008 2:02 am Title:
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No, you say to a boy "ma shlomcha" ma shlomeach is to a girl. Remember, hebrew is a gender-specific language.
At least I'm learning!!! ^^ It's nice to actually practice talking to people (none of my friends are willing to help me...) so that they can correct my (obvious!) mistakes!!!
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