Even the name makes people all over the world stop in their tracks: Israel. There is no other place that is as well-known for so wide a variety of reasons as this country the size of New Jersey smack-dab in what is probably the most passionately riven religious region in the world. But beyond all that tension and conflict lies a land as breathtaking as any. The effect it has on people is like no other place, and the awe it inspires is both keenly felt and wholly unique in its power.
If you would like to study Hebrew then there is no better country than Israel. Plan your trip today.
Learn Hebrew in Israel
Israel is located, many people are surprised to discover, in the eastern part of the Mediterranean. Indeed, its coast with that famous sea that has cradled civilization for so many thousands of years is one of the most beautiful in the region. Israel’s port cities include urban centers like Tel Aviv and Haifa as well as smaller seaside towns like Ashdod and Netanya. But, of course, wherever you go along the coast of Israel proper, you will be treated to the same magnificent views and weather that have lured people to the Mediterranean for millennia.
Israel, of course, is also one of the most exciting cultural centers in the world. From the archaeology at sites like Tel Megiddo to the excellent music scenes in Jerusalem and Tel Aviv to the resort-like ethos of Eilat, on the Red Sea, Israel offers students and visitors alike a plethora of options from which to choose when it comes to exploration, tourism, and relaxation.
No discussion of Israel is complete without addressing its history, which began almost unfathomably long ago. Indeed, this land was first settled thousands of years ago, and its history is told in some of the most influential religious texts in the world. The Jewish Bible, or Torah, tells of the earliest history of the land and its settlement by the Jewish people; the Christian Bible tells of its later history; and the Koran, or Muslim Bible, tells of Islamic inhabitants in the region. Needless to say, these and other groups of people interpret this history in their own unique way, and the disputes about these differences still resonate today.
Languges Spoken in Israel
Hebrew and Arabic are the official languages of Israel. Hebrew is most commonly spoken. However, a sizable part of the population are Israeli-Arabs (as well as a significant number of Jewish refugees from Arab countries), who speak Arabic.
It is generally very easy to communicate in English in Israel, since English is compulsory in Israeli schools. Nearly anyone you meet on the street, especially people under 40 years old, will be able to communicate with you in English, although with noticeable accent and fluency issues. All street and road signs (and many others) have the English name, as well as the Hebrew and Arabic names. Most tourists get along fine in Israel without speaking a word of Hebrew.
Massive immigration from the former Soviet Union in the 1990s brought a large number of immigrants who speak Russian. Other commonly encountered languages in Israel, reflecting the diverse origins of Israelis, include Romanian, French, German, Polish and Argentine Spanish. Some of the older members of the population and some of the ultra-orthodox population speak Yiddish, an Eastern-European Germanic Jewish language.
While speaking Hebrew Slang, words of Arabic origin are commonly used. For example: Walla? (Is that so?), Yalla! (Come on, let’s move!), Sababa (great), Akhla (good), Sahbak (friend), and many more. Street talk is also much affected by the military language, which is second nature to many Israelis.
Is Israel Safe?
Israel is rocked by seemingly incessant violence, and the conflict between the Israelis and the Palestinians has devolved into a sad state of seeming intractability. This, of course, does not mean that students should avoid studying in Israel. Quite the contrary, in fact. They should simply be careful and aware of their surroundings at all times, just as they would anywhere else in the world.