having trouble seeing the print? עִיר מֻשְׁלֶגֶת listen and repeat Don’t yet read Hebrew? Learn now, for free! As you may have heard – or perhaps you’ve been experiencing it yourself – Jerusalem has been covered in snow since Thursday. For this city unprepared, such a snowstorm means limited electricity, no school, jolly kids, no public…
having trouble seeing the print? מוּמְיָה, חָנוּט, אִמָּא’לֶה listen and repeat The Torah portion to be read this Shabbat by Jews around the world features that staple of ancient-Egyptian culture and a main character in horror films, the mummy. In the Torah’s case, the mummies happen to be יַעֲקֹב listen and repeat – Jacob, the forefather – and יוֹסֵף listen and repeat – his son Joseph. The most…
having trouble seeing the print? קְרוֹבֵי מִשְׁפָּחָה listen and repeat סֵפֶר בְּרֵאשִׁית listen and repeat, the book of Genesis, is to a great extent about family. As Jews around the world are reading the final chapters of ספר בראשית this week, here’s a dose about various family members or relatives. The term for…
having trouble seeing the print? פַּשְׁטִידַת הָרוֹעֶה listen and repeat This one’s for my sister, who loves this dish. In honor of the cold weather felt in many parts of the world this week, here’s an entry about a nice hot food item. Shepherd’s pie, originating in what is today the United Kingdom, translates…
having trouble seeing the print? סוֹף הַדֶּרֶךְ listen and repeat When I hear the English expression, the end of the road, the first thing that comes to my mind is the song by Boyz II Men. In English, the end of the road connotes the end of a relationship or process, sometimes the end of a…
having trouble seeing the print? לְהַגִּישׁ, לְשָׁרֵת listen and repeat As often happens when crossing linguistic boundaries, the single English verb to serve has several translations in Hebrew, corresponding to several different meanings of the word in English. להגיש There’s to serve as in to give something to someone else,…
having trouble seeing the print? מְפֻרְסָם listen and repeat Discount Deadline TODAY for our Level 1 course REGISTER NOW! חֲנֻכָּה listen and repeat – Hanukkah – among other things, is about publicizing miracles by showcasing lights to the world. The Hebrew word for to publicize or to advertise is לְפַרְסֵם listen and repeat, a four-letter root first appearing in Mishnaic Hebrew, whose…
having trouble seeing the print? נָפַל לִי הָאֲסִימוֹן listen and repeat Discount Deadline TOMORROW for our Level 1 course REGISTER NOW! Back when people used payphones, and before even these required an electronic card to make a call, Israelis inserted a special token into payphones called an אֲסִימוֹן listen and repeat. …
having trouble seeing the print? עוֹף, תַּרְנְגוֹלֶת listen and repeat They tell a joke about an Israeli man married to an American woman, living in the States. He buys her a microwave as a surprise and tells her he’s going to put it to use right away by cooking a chicken in it. As he…
having trouble seeing the print? לָעוּף listen and repeat Arik Einstein, one of Israel’s most important and influential musicians, passed away last week. At a ceremony at Rabin Square in Tel Aviv before the funeral, Prime Minister Netanyahu said: הָיִיתָ הַגָּדוֹל מִכֻּלָּם, הַזַּמָּר הַלְּאֻמִּי. You were the greatest of them all, our (the) national…
הוֹדָיָה listen and repeat This is a word that’s not used everyday. We’ve already done an entry on the word grateful, which you’ll find here. The Hebrew word for thanksgiving, as in English, is reserved for special occasions, such as that favorite American holiday itself. The word is הוֹדָיָה listen and repeat. It comes…