https://www.youtube.com/embed/5PRIwxysVyo In Judaism, Passover is one of the most important holidays of the year. It celebrates the release of the Jews from Egypt as described in the biblical book of Exodus, and commemorates the events leading up to it.  Maybe you’ve heard of Passover before, but never really understood what it’s about or how it’s celebrated. If so, this article will be your golden ticket to understanding the basics and getting better acquainted with Jewish culture and traditions.  Let’s get started! 1. What is Passover? Passover is a Jewish holiday celebrated for seven days during אביב (aviv), or spring. The celebration of this holiday is commanded and outlined in the biblical books of... Show more

Do you remember the moment you fell in love with languages? Do you desire to learn or advance in Hebrew quickly and effectively? Then you need a Hebrew tutor. A common question that first-time language-learners ask is "Where do I begin?" The answer? Guidance. For native English-speakers who want to learn Asian languages, for example, timelines provided by the U.S. Foreign Service Institute can appear discouraging. However, defeating these odds is not unheard of. If you want to beat the odds yourself, one of the best learning options is a subscription to Premium PLUS from Innovative Language. As an active Premium PLUS member of JapanesePod101.com and KoreanClass101.com myself, I have an enjoyable experience learning at an accelerated... Show more

Israel had a particularly rough history, fraught with tragedies and wrongs. Each year, there’s a special day set aside just for mourning and reflection: תשעה באב (Tish-ah be-Av), or "Tisha B’Av."  In this article, we’ll talk about some of these tragedies, cover the most common Tisha B’Av practices and customs, and go over the most important Tisha B’Av vocabulary.  Let’s get started. 1. What is Tisha B’Av? Tisha B’Av is a day of אבל (evel), or "grieving," for Jews, and it serves as a time to commemorate the many tragedies that Israel has experienced. In particular, Jews mourn a collection of events that are often referred to as "the five calamities." These events all took place on or around the date of Tisha... Show more

Rosh Hashanah, which is the Jewish New Year, is a time of new beginnings and fresh starts—very much like New Years around the world. On this day, Jews cast aside their wrongdoings from the previous year in hopes of becoming better the following year, and they wish each other a sweeter new year. In this article, you’ll learn about the Rosh Hashanah meaning and history, and what traditional celebrations look like today. In learning about this significant religious and cultural holiday, you’ll gain much into Jewish culture. This, in turn, should fuel your desire to master the Hebrew language! On the other hand, if you're looking for New Year's vocabulary that would be more useful at a secular, December New Year's Party, we've got something... Show more

Have you ever observed a couple of Israelis speaking? If you have, chances are that you’ve noticed how Israelis use not only their voice but also their hands, face, and entire body to communicate. Much as in other parts of the Mediterranean Basin (with Italians perhaps being the most famous example), Israel is a place where we speak with a high level of expressivity. Because we Israelis are so highly expressive, mere words cannot capture all it is we wish to say. For that reason, we draw on the rest of our body to fine-tune our communication. There are many Hebrew hand gestures and body language signals we use to give added hints, embellishments, and emphasis.  This may seem daunting at first. After all, some gestures will be... Show more

It goes without saying that more and more of our lives are lived in the virtual sphere with each passing year. This is true throughout the developed world, and Israel is no exception. While it would be difficult to gauge exact numbers, there is no doubt that Israelis are communicating more via texts and chats than ever before. And, as is the case wherever people communicate via digital means, new Hebrew internet slang words have emerged. They’re characterized by the adaptation of words and expressions (both Hebrew and foreign) for use on the internet and social media, as well as by a penchant for brevity and immediacy to keep up with the pace of instant messages. Even before the internet age, Hebrew was, in fact, already full of pithy,... Show more

One of the wonderful things about studying a foreign language is that it’s not merely a matter of translating what you know from your mother tongue directly into the new language. This is especially true when the language you’re learning is linguistically unrelated to the one you already know. In the case of Hebrew and English, aside from a number of loanwords—a few words that entered English from Hebrew via the Old Testament and quite a number of English words adopted by Hebrew speakers in modernity—there’s little common ground between the two. As you’ll see, untranslatable Hebrew words are one area where you’ll notice these distinctions.  One thing that seems universal, even in the case of languages that do pertain to the same... Show more

Unlike Hollywood, Israel's film industry has traditionally been much smaller-scale. Still, it has been growing steadily in recent years, particularly since many breakthroughs have made their way onto Netflix or were even redone as American remakes. Hebrew movies and cinema are characterized not only by a typically more intimate, less bombastic approach to treating human stories (with some notable exceptions), but also by mixing comedy and melodrama quite naturally—something surely representative of the Israeli experience. While one could argue that more and more movies coming out of Israel today are modeled after the Tinseltown blockbuster, there have traditionally been—and still are—many unique, independent gems that could only have been... Show more

One of the best ways to study any language is to expose yourself to real language as used by native speakers in natural, day-to-day contexts. Obviously, immersion is the most effective way to manage this, but not all of us have the opportunity to live in a country where the language we’re learning is spoken. That’s where TV in Hebrew can come in handy. You can use this as a highly practical tool to expose yourself to native speech. In fact, even if we are staying in the country of our target language, or among natives of that country abroad, TV shows and movies have a certain advantage in that they allow us to pause and replay segments we wish to hear again—unlike people in real life, who tend to resist getting paused and replayed! ... Show more

If you’re planning to stay in Israel for any considerable length of time, you're probably going to consider looking for a job at some point. Beyond the obvious need to earn a living, entering the job market is also a great way to network. A work environment can open up access to new social circles, as well, and help you start forming the ties you need to navigate in a foreign country. Israel's job market is constantly evolving. There are jobs in Israel for English speakers if you know where and how to look, as well as what to expect in terms of the screening and interview process. Just like anywhere else, looking for work in Israel can definitely be a challenge, depending on your qualifications and the type of job you're after. But... Show more