When the Jewish State Was Almost in Uganda

[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/וילון-#.m4a” /]וִילוֹן The Hebrew word for curtain is וילון[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/וילון-#.m4a” /], as in: [audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/וילון-#.m4a” /]דויד, סגור את הווילון! David, close the curtain! וילון came to Hebrew in Mishnaic times via Greek and Latin (in Latin the word is velum). Even though וילון is a masculine noun, curtains are וילונות[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/וילון-#.m4a” /], with the feminine…

הָעֲלִילָה[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/עלילה-1.mp3″ /]   With the action heating up in the Torah portions, I figure that now’s a good time to introduce the Modern-Hebrew word for a story’s plot – עֲלִילָה[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/עלילה-2.mp3″ /]. To be sure, עלילה comes from Biblical Hebrew, where it means deed and wantonness. But Modern Hebrew lowers the flames on this…

[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/ביקורת-גבולות-#.m4a” /]בִּקֹּרֶת גְּבוּלוֹת In hopes and prayers that in the not-too-distant future this will become relevant again, here’s how to say border control in Hebrew: ביקורת גבולות[audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/ביקורת-גבולות-#.m4a” /]. For example: [audioclip url=”https://archive.ulpan.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/ביקורת-גבולות-#.m4a” /]לפני שהולכים לאיסוף כבודה, צריך לעבור ביקורת גבולות. Before going to baggage collection, (you) need to go through border control. ביקורת[audioclip…