For many people who want to speak Hebrew fluently, especially those with an upcoming aliyah date or who plan to make aliyah in the future, being able to speak Hebrew as an authentic Israeli is very daunting. No matter how many years of learning Hebrew in a Jewish day school or how many hours are spent in a formal Ulpan class, one may still struggle with “basic” tasks such as making a doctor’s appointment or paying an electricity bill in Hebrew. Learning the language and being integrated into Israeli society involves learning Hebrew slang, colloquialisms and the intricacies of everyday Israeli culture.To fill this void for future and current olim, as well as those who want to learn Hebrew to communicate with family members who are not proficient in English, Nefesh B’Nefesh (NBN), which works in partnership with the Ministry of Aliyah and Integration, the Jewish Agency for Israel, Keren Kayemeth LeIsrael and Jewish National Fund-USA, collaborated with Jay Rosen, who had initiated a Hebrew learning program.
After graduating from New York University, Rosen made aliyah from his hometown of Washington D.C. in 2006. Upon his arrival in Israel, Rosen attended graduate school and then began his own company. In 2017, NBN opened an office in Tel Aviv. Rosen, a Tel Aviv resident, frequented the office for the open office space, coffee and companionship with fellow olim. The office began to host Hebrew lunches where all the olim in attendance were required to speak only Hebrew during lunch. Rosen, a linguist with fluency in English, Hebrew and Arabic, was one of the only participants who felt confident enough to speak during these lunches. He was shocked that so few people were able to comfortably speak the language in the country they live in.
Shortly thereafter, when NBN decided to begin a Hebrew class in its office, Rosen eagerly volunteered to teach the free class. Its name became “Cafe Oleh.” Since that first class in 2017, the class has been a regular item on the NBN menu of programs.
Initially, Rosen’s classes had around a dozen or so in attendance. The topics were either chosen by Rosen or were based on something an attendee was struggling with, such as paying an arnona (real estate tax) bill or reading the local newspaper.
In February 2020, when NBN closed the Tel Aviv office due to COVID, it asked Rosen if he wanted to continue his class on Zoom. He gladly accepted. Today, participants regularly join Cafe Oleh from across the world. According to Rena Levin, NBN’s events and marketing coordinator, over 900 hundred people are currently registered for Cafe Oleh, with around 200 to 300 people attending each class.
Cafe Oleh is offered on Mondays at 1 p.m. ET. Upon registration for the recorded webinar-style class, the participant will receive a Zoom link to access the session. At the start of each class, Rosen introduces the topic and displays a vocabulary sheet, with the words listed in English, Hebrew and the transliteration, on the screen. Throughout the class, attendees can submit questions in the Q&A box, and Rosen will answer them at the end. Attendees can also submit topics they want Rosen to cover in a future class or submit comments or questions about previous classes via email to [email protected].
Rosen discusses that week’s topic by explaining the displayed vocabulary and the words’ context while providing important cultural aspects about the topic useful to understand the modern Israeli lifestyle. Additionally, if relevant, he will show a video or pull up a website to illustrate a point he is teaching. Rosen’s goal is that these classes “prepare people to understand the context in which they are using the language.”
For example, during a class about knowing “how to complain in Israel,” Rosen pulled up the Ministry of Transportation’s website and walked through how to file a complaint when a bus or train is late, using the words he had previously discussed. In another class focusing on the weather, Rosen showed a comical clip from the Jerusalem municipality detailing how Israelis eagerly await the rare snowfall.
In addition to classes on essential matters such as paying bills, making doctor’s appointments, reading nutritional labels, reading the local Israeli news and everyday Hebrew slang, Rosen teaches classes pertinent to current events and upcoming holidays. Prior to the holidays, Rosen gives a class about the holiday and provides an overview of the cultural aspects of these holidays and their connection with the land of Israel. Levin grew up attending Jewish day school, and said, “My favorite Cafe Oleh classes are the holiday classes, since they are fun and informative and I am able to learn something new, such as the most recent Chanukah one.”
One of the past Yom HaZikaron-Yom Ha’Atzmaut classes went through both old and new Israeli songs applicable to the significance of these days. Levin said this class was very special and emotional. An attendee of this class, who had made aliyah many years prior, was very touched by this class, saying, “I’ve been here over 17 years but I feel that I am just beginning to know my country, the culture. I couldn’t stop crying when listening to [the song] ‘Chai,’ not only because of the profundity, but because I am connecting to and knowing Israel on a much deeper level.”
Following the horrors of October 7, there were classes related to volunteering including words one needs to know about catching a bus to a farm or words about what to wear and bring when one goes to volunteer.
Within 24 hours following Monday’s class, all those who registered for the class, whether they were able to attend or not, will receive an email with a link to the class on YouTube, the vocabulary sheet, and any links Rosen showed participants including videos or songs played during the class or useful resources on the topic discussed. These classes can all be accessed on NBN’s YouTube channel.
In addition to Cafe Oleh on Mondays, Rosen teaches Cafe Oleh Conversations on Wednesdays at 1 p.m. ET. At these classes, also taught on Zoom, participants at different Hebrew levels are split into breakout rooms to practice their Hebrew using prompts provided by Rosen and the vocabulary words taught in the previous Monday’s Cafe Oleh. These classes are not recorded so participants can feel comfortable to speak freely and make mistakes.
Rosen thinks an extremely important aspect of learning Hebrew and the Israeli way of life is being a good listener, something one can practice during these conversations. Around 50 to 100 people typically attend Cafe Oleh Conversations.
Levin noted that participants have made friends from this class. One story she shared detailed how two men who met in a breakout room stayed in touch and met up in person on Chol Hamoed Sukkot. They sent NBN a photo of their meeting. “It was really heartwarming to see a real friendship,” said Levin.
Rosen understands that for many Americans, one of the most frustrating things about making aliyah is being unable to complete basic tasks that used to be second nature. Rosen hopes that Cafe Oleh can help alleviate some of those struggles. His advice for those planning on making aliyah is: “Hebrew is everything. Learn Hebrew as soon as you can and it will enable you to be able to contribute to society and when you make aliyah, recognize what you are giving up, what you are gaining and what you are willing to put aside and you will be all right.”
Rosen believes that North Americans can bring so much to Israel and Israeli society by virtue of immigrating from a democracy. Additionally, he said that speaking Hebrew and understanding the Israeli way of life can be eye-opening into our background as Jews. “The moment you learn the language and the context in which it is used, you tap into so many things about who we are as a people, both tradition and current reality,” said Rosen.
To register for Monday’s Cafe Oleh or Wednesday’s Cafe Oleh Conversations, go to www.nbn.org.il/cafe-oleh.
