Learning a language

These are two covers called Challa covers that you put over the Challa on Friday night for the meal. They are 15 shekels a piece. They are very nice and can ship them. In dollars the price is: $5 a piece and that does not include the shipping charge.



Hi all,
Here is another part of my story or journey here in Israel about learning Hebrew.
When I grew up in the States I went to Hebrew school after Elementary School. I really did not learn a lot and the Hebrew we learned when I went to live in Israel was not at all the same as they speak here. I had a teacher that would pretend he was writing names down and one time I stole his paper and there was nothing on it. We had an Israeli come and teach us Hebrew songs. That was fun. Before I went to live in Israel I went to learn Hebrew again, but, it was very hard.
When I first came to live in Israel the 3 main languages spoken here were Hebrew, English and Arabic and smidges here and there of other languages. When the Russians came then English was bumped to allow Russian in. I went to many places called an Ulpan to learn Hebrew and there were only two I really thought were good. One that I thought was good they did a test to see what level you were in. In the winter time it is not good to learn Hebrew. The building was very very cold and with one small heater in the front and if you sat anywhere else you froze. I got sick and the teacher could not figure out why I got sick. I sat in the back with no heater on me. The other one was a Professional Ulpan. That meant that people that had degrees went there. I met a lot of people and they became friends, but, the hard part is you do not know if someone will stay or leave. Most of them left and it was very sad. 
When I was learning Hebrew I would sit on the bus and hope no one would sit next to me because I did not want them asking me any questions. My Hebrew was not good and I was so afraid to make mistakes. 
We learned how to speak along with past and present and future tenses and that took me awhile to learn. We listened to the radio to learn to understand the news in Hebrew. We read articles from newspaper. 
When I felt comfortable I began to open my mouth and the words just kept pouring out and at that time I did not care how many mistakes I made. 
I had to go back to the States and earn some money. While I was in Target a man was saying in Hebrew asking whose cart was standing there and I answered back in Hebrew to him "that it was mine." A man that did not understand us was watching the whole thing. The guy then turned around and was so surprised that someone would answer him in Hebrew in Minnesota. We had Israelis that came there to live. He then asked if I would pay for his things and I told him "no." I was in the mall and would hear Hebrew. Since I lived in Israel I hung around with my old friends that I grew up with, but, also hung around with Israelis because I felt more comfortable with them. I had a friend and when I was on break at my work I would call him up and talk to him in Hebrew and others around me could not understand me. It was fun.
So, I when I came back to Israel and used my Hebrew Israelis that were born here would always tell us to speak or learn Hebrew, but, they wanted to practice their English. Most of the time they talked to me in English I would continue in Hebrew and they would switch back to Hebrew too. When they would start in English I would tell them I can speak Hebrew and that you always say we need to learn Hebrew, but, here you are practicing English so how do we learn if you do not speak to us in Hebrew, which is the language of the country I have been told many times.
So, there are days I can speak Hebrew and days I cannot spell or speak any language. When I write in English now I feel at times if I cannot picture the word in my mind I have to try and sound it out and if that does not work I find a word I do know how to spell.
I have watched soap operas in Hebrew and in Spanish with Hebrew subtitles and there is an easy reading Hebrew newspaper I used to get and sometimes listen to the radio but do not understand all they are saying and need help with forms so can understand them, but, here I am in my Homeland doing the best I can with speaking. 
So, now it is time to say good bye with this part.
Shalom and li'hitrot. I am saying goodbye and see you again.