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Jewish New Year Food Posted by Ayana on Sep 3, 2018
Rosh Hashanah (רֹאשׁ הַשָּׁנָה) is the Jewish New Year (its name means “head of the year”). As with any Jewish holiday, Rosh Hashanah is celebrated according to the Jewish calendar (this year on September 9th) and is full of traditional food. מַאֲכְלֵי רֹאשׁ הַשָּׁנָה (Rosh Hashanah foods) are all symbolic. They are called סׅימָנׅים (si-ma-nim…
Hebrew Verbs in Action: Binyan Pi’el Posted by Ayana on Aug 20, 2018
The Hebrew language is composed of many roots. The verbal stems – the בּׅנְיָנׅים (plural form, pronounced as bin-ya-nim) – are the patterns that shape them into actual words. בִּנְיָן (singular form, pronounced as bin-yan), literally means building, is a firm structure into which the root is inserted to form the verb. There are seven…
Have you seen Yehuda’s Illustrations? Posted by Ayana on Aug 6, 2018
Let’s talk all about the verb to illustrate. Last year, Maya and Yehuda wanted to move to Tel-Aviv. They were newly married and lived at Yehuda’s parents’ house, when Maya found a job at the big city. Like any other Israeli young couple, they wished to find a decent flat at a fair price to…
Survive a Long, Hot Israeli Summer with Ice Cream Posted by Ayana on Jul 23, 2018
The Israeli summer is long. The hot humid season in Israel lasts from June till August, but heat waves hit our little country as soon as the spring. The autumn is pretty warm as well, and so it feels like summer extends for too long. What gives us plenty of opportunities to gorge on ice…
Watching the Smurfs in Hebrew Posted by Ayana on Jul 9, 2018
Animated television series are largely watched by children. The cartoons occupy the kids, expose them to the language, and educate them at the same time. Those TV series are made for kids, but they are also a useful means for grown-ups to be exposed to second language. In our case, it’s an easy, fun way…
5 Cool Stores in Tel-Aviv Posted by Ayana on Jun 18, 2018
There are many things to do in Tel-Aviv, shopping included. I selected 5 stores (plus 3 bonus stores) to enrich your next shopping experience in Tel-Aviv. Enjoy! Hapolanya The common stereotype of the Jewish mother and wife known in Israel (where most mothers are Jewish but originate from diverse ethnic groups) is the Polish mother. A Polish…
Hebrew Vocabulary to Help You Enjoy National Book Week Posted by Ayana on Jun 4, 2018
Every June, Israel celebrates its National Hebrew Book Week. For the last 92 years, for one week at the beginning of the summer, the whole country is a big book fair: stalls in every corner, large discounts, public readings and get-togethers with authors. Let’s use this occasion to delve into some literature vocabulary. Book (masculine)…