Your Daily Dose of Hebrew

  Can’t read Hebrew yet? אַחְלָה!  listen and repeat   A lack of formal peace among political entities does not stop peace in other strata of society… at least when it comes to language.    אַחְלָה listen and repeat – an Arabic word Israelis use to express happy agreement or to simply say great! or cool! or sweet! – is one of the first…

  Can’t read Hebrew yet? כָּפִיל  listen and repeat     At some point I decided I had better things to do, but for about half an hour last week I used an automated service to help me choose exactly whom among the celebrities I most resemble.   That’s because last week was Doppelganger week on…

Can’t read Hebrew yet? פַּעֲמוֹן  listen and repeat   As Aaron the High Priest would advance step by careful step into the holiest chamber, little bells attached to his garments would chime, as if to announce his presence.       The Hebrew word for bell is פַּעֲמוֹן listen and repeat. You may recognize its root as…

  Can’t read Hebrew yet? אַחְזוֹר אֵלֶיךָ, אֵלַיִךְ  listen and repeat     There’s I’ll call you (see yesterday’s dose), and there’s I’ll call you back.       So if someone makes you an offer that you’re not sure about, you can buy some time with:   אֲנִי אֶחְזוֹר אֵלֶיךָ. I’ll get back to you…

  Can’t read Hebrew yet? אֶתְקַשֵּׁר  listen and repeat     Blind date. Not sure if there’ll be a next one – need to sleep on it.  I might say to her,    אֶתְקַשֵּׁר אֵלַיִךְ. I’ll call you (a female).  listen    The word לְהִתְקַשֵּׁר listen and repeat means to call by phone. It’s a reflexive-intensive verb…

  Can’t read Hebrew yet? מִלַּת מַפְתֵּחַ  listen and repeat     Effective communication – getting messages across from a giving party to a receiving one – includes saying the right words.   Likewise, for a website to be found, it needs to have content that matches the right words, the ones that people are…

  having trouble seeing the print? אֵרוּעַ הַתְרָמָה  listen and repeat     In order to do their good work, organizations need funds. So they go out and raise money in all sorts of creative ways, one of which is to hold a posh event where people come all dressed up, drink some good wine and make…

  having trouble seeing the print? נְשׁוֹת הַכֹּתֶל  listen and repeat     The Women of the Wall have been making the news on a monthly basis (at the opening or head of the (Jewish) month – רֹאשׁ חֹדֶשׁ listen and repeat) for the past while.   Their official Hebrew name, a direct translation, is נְשׁוֹת הַכֹּתֶל listen and repeat….

  having trouble seeing the print? מוֹנִית שֵׁרוּת  listen and repeat     I’m in Tel Aviv’s adjacent city פֶּתַח תִּקְוָה listen and repeat, waiting for bus number 66. In the meantime, a shuttle taxi – intended to compete with the bus – pulls up. I get excited, but just to be sure, I ask the driver whether he…