Hebrew Language Blog

After two months of lock down, Israel has lifted quarantine limits. leaving home and visiting family is allowed; the education system returned to full operation; and malls are open again. The government instructed mandatory social distancing and mask wearing to battle the spread of the coronavirus. Here is a glossary, including sentences regarding the COVID-19…

Friday the 13th this past March was an odd day for Israelis. The media reported upcoming plans to lockdown Israel. Times and details had not yet been announced, leaving the population of Israel uncertain about the future. The next day, on Saturday evening, prime minister Netanyahu announced shutting down all educational institutions, and halting all…

On April 1, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu delivered another update to the people of Israel. He usually addresses the nation from the briefing room in the Prime Minister’s Office, but after one of his advisers had contracted the coronavirus, Netanyahu was self-quarantined, and spoke from his official residence in Jerusalem. I did my own makeup and hair…

Hebrew vocabulary to help you read the related news. נְגִיף [virus, ne-gif, masculine, plural נְגׅיפׅים] Although the word virus has an old corresponding word in Hebrew – נְגִיף, most still use the English word when speaking about the coronavirus. Even among those who do use the Hebrew נְגִיף, many utter it incorrectly. הַחֲלוּפָה הָעׅבְרׅית לַמּׅילָה…

At the beginning of February, before the coronavirus arrived in Israel, prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu tweeted: נַעֲשֶׂה הַכֹּל כְּדֵי לׅשְׁמוֺר עַל אֶזְרְחֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל (we’ll do everything to protect Israel’s citizens). Three days earlier, the minister of health (שַׂר הַבְּרִיאוּת) banned the entry of flights from China to Israel as a precaution. A 14-day home isolation…

Legislative elections for the 23rd Knesset will be held in Israel on March 2, 2020. Every election is different. As the third election held within a period of 12 months, this one is especially tense. But there are things that never change on the Election Day (יוֺם בְּחִירוֹת). Israel Election Day starts early. The polling stations (עֶמְדַּת קַלְפִּי) open their…

For the third time in under a year, Israelis are heading back to the polls. Efforts to form a government failed again after the second election held in September 2019. The unprecedented third election will be held on March 2nd 2020. We’ve already learned the relevant vocabulary of Israel political deadlock, in these posts: What…