Last week, I passed the four month mark as a new immigrant to Israel by celebrating Thanksgiving with 200 other “Olim Chadashim” from America at the NefeshBNefesh Thanksgiving Bash in Tel Aviv. Now moving from one place to another is never easy. I went to four high schools as a teenager- and it wasn’t because my father was a drug dealer and we were being chased by the “popo”. Moving to another country with another language and culture is even more difficult. And moving to Israel and dealing with 8.5 million Israelis screaming at each other, is even more so.
Although I moved here speaking some Hebrew, I was basically illiterate, not being able to read or write. There were times in the beginning when I felt completely lost and helpless. I had to depend on my amazing friends to read basic papers and contracts for me and to help see me thru basic everyday life – like setting up cable, internet, cell phone and buying furniture and setting up an apartment. I am very grateful because without them, I would be quickly out of here and back to America before I finished singing the chorus of “Yankee Doodle Dandy”.
Arriving in the middle of the war this summer played very heavily on my emotions that “we are all one in our homeland” and I quickly felt like I belonged here.” I am Israel” and songs of Naomi Shemer filled my head. Then reality quickly set in. This is not an easy place to say the least. You really have to fight for everything here.
A few times some Israelis have made the mistake of seeing $$$ signs on my American accented Hebrew. They have tried to take advantage of me sizing me up as a “dumb rich American”. That is until I opened my big mouth – which can be used as a weapon-coupled with my size – from the local bakery who tried 2x in a four day period to rip me off, to cab drivers who thought to take the long way home, to a cheap Thai restaurant –my mouth turned around the scales of justice. Did they really think that I would not catch on that I was paying double? “I mean, I ain’t the smartest Jew in the minyan but c’mon now.”
At the beginning of September, I started intensive Hebrew classes to learn Hebrew with other new immigrants mostly from France and a couple of Americans thrown in. Yes, at my age I am back in Hebrew school. Last time way back when, the rabbi threw me out. This time I promised to behave if only because the Russian office manager looked like a stern lady. The ulpan is dominated by the French who have moved from France recently by the thousands, making France the largest source of immigration to Israel. In 2015 the number of French immigrants to Israel is expected to double to more than 10,000 people.
Now learning Hebrew is very important if you want to integrate into Israeli society and culture and not shine shoes for the rest of your working life. I supplement the ulpan by watching Israeli TV, with Hebrew captions on the bottom of the screen. My daily variety of mostly reruns include a mixture of comedy sitcoms, soap operas and reality shows with simple to easy understand Hebrew. My proudest moment came last week when I translated Hebrew to English for a French immigrant in a hardware store who couldn’t understand the store clerk. I then strutted like a peacock on home.
After feeling more comfortable with the Hebrew language and my speaking ability, this week I have begun my job search. What exactly is out there for me in the field of public relations, non-profit, broadcasting or writing is a good question, but I’m ready to set sail on a new adventure “Love Boat Israel”- (cue music).
To be honest there are days when I long for America and my life in Los Angeles, my family and friends and I ask myself-“ Yo LiAmi, what are we doing here?” and then there are other days when I wouldn’t trade being in Israel for anywhere in the world.
Spending Thanksgiving with other American immigrants in a new home was very special. Never mind that I’m a vegetarian or that I ate humus instead of turkey, or that I had a few drinks before being interviewed on Israeli news, I was enjoying the experience of realizing that my new adventure in life will include Hebrew subtitles and a plate of humus wherever I go.
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