Did you know the first McDonald’s in the Middle East Opened in Israel? Posted by Ayana on Jan 12, 2017
The Hebrew word for junk food is זְלֹולֶת. It’s a funny word that no one actually uses. It is one of the newest Hebrew words: the Academy of the Hebrew Language invented it on December 2014. Most Israelis aren’t even familiar with this Hebrew equivalent for junk food. But they sure eat junk food. And McDonald’s…
How to Celebrate Hanukkah Posted by Ayana on Dec 22, 2016
Hanukkah (חֲנֻכָּה) is one of my favorite holidays: it includes lighting candles and chorusing with your family, and it requires eating fried food. What more can one ask from a holiday? 😉 חֲנֻכָּה is an eight day festival of light that commemorates the rededication of the great temple in Jerusalem. It celebrates the triumph of…
Israel’s First Nobel Prize Winner: Shmuel Yosef Agnon Posted by Ayana on Dec 8, 2016
Fifty years ago Israel won its first Nobel Prize. It was the literature prize and it was given to Shmuel Yosef Agnon (1887-1970). In December 1966, Agnon and his wife travelled from Jerusalem to Sweden, to receive international recognition of his life devotion: writing. His first works were published while he was still a teenager…
Road Games for a Drive Across Israel Posted by Ayana on Nov 27, 2016
Israel is a fairly small country. Standing 153 at the world ranking, Israel is even smaller than Taiwan. So we don’t have a lot of opportunities to a road trip, but we do know how to enjoy our car drive. We talk, we eat, we listen to music and we – kids and adults alike…
Shahar: The Origin of a Common Hebrew Name Posted by Ayana on Nov 13, 2016
Hebrew names are marvelous. Every name has a meaning, every name has significance. Last time we delved into the name Tal. Today we’ll check out another name from nature: Shachar שַׁחַר. שַׁחַר means dawn, the faint rays of light appearing before the sunrise. As with Tal, שַׁחַר originates from the Bible too. It appears, for…
Hebrew Colors Part 2: Linguistic Evolution Posted by Ayana on Oct 24, 2016
In 1969 the anthropologist Brent Berlin and the linguist Paul Kay published an interesting book: Basic Color Terms: Their Universality and Evolution (1969). Their research in the field of color terminology has been highly influential in anthropology and linguistics. They checked how many basic color terms for each language are universal, and concluded that the number…
Hebrew Colors Part 1: Introduction Posted by Ayana on Oct 10, 2016
Colors aren’t just adjectives. They are state of mind. Red is not only the color of the blood, it’s passion. Blue is not only the color of the sky, it’s clarity. Green it’s not only the color of the grass, it’s prosperity. No wonder colors are among the first words every language learner memorizes And…