how do you say “I get it” in Hebrew?
ק.ל.ט.
Perhaps you’re familiar with the term מֶרְכַּז קְלִיטָה (mehr-KAHZ klee-TAH) – absorption center. Perhaps you’ve lived in one.
The word קליטה comes from the root לִקְלוֹט, which means to absorb. The word is used in colloquial Hebrew to mean to get it, as in “Ah, now I get it!” – אָה, עַכְשָׁיו אֲנִי קוֹלֵט! (ah, ahkh-SHAHV ah-NEE koh-LET!).
Likewise, לְהִקָּלֵט (le-hee-kah-LET) is to be absorbed, as an immigrant needs to be absorbed by the host society.
The Ethiopian Jews have had perhaps the most difficult קליטה among the various groups of Jews from around the world.
Ehud Banai composed a song about some of the challenges they face, called עֲבוֹדָה שְׁחוֹרָה (video below, or here).
Don’t be fooled by the quiet of the audience – that’s just their culture – the most patient, down-to-earth people I’ve ever met.
In the video, listen for the words מרכז קליטה, לקטלות and להיקלט… and repeat.
