Hava Nedaber Ivrit:A Family Reunion In Israel Each month in this space, L'Chayim will present a Hebrew lesson entitled, "Hava Nedaber Ivrit!" (Let's Speak Hebrew), whose aim is to encourage further study of Hebrew. The lesson will include a brief story utilizing the Hebrew words to be studied, a vocabulary list with English translations and a family activitiy which involves using the new words. The lessons will be prepared by Nira Lev, associate professor of Hebrew language and literature at the Midrasha College of Jewish Studies. Mrs. Lev also teaches Hebrew language and literature at the Community Jewish High School at the United Hebrew Schools. Following is this month's lesson: "Mishpacha Gdolah" was always my chalom when I was growing up in Israel. Our mishpacha was very small because most of my krovim, my mother's horim, achim and achayot, and most of my father's krovim were killed in Europe in the Shoah. As a yalda ktana I always thought: "Yesh lee mazal to have my saba and savta (on my father's side) and my beloved doda Rachel (on my mother's side)." Doda Rachel, my mother's young achot followed my mother to Eretz Yisrael as a chalutza and she and her family were our closest mishpacha. On the chagim, when all mishpachot gather to celebrate the chag together, I always felt the tza'ar and the ke'ev of not having harbe krovim. I often thought of all the dodim, dodot, and b'ney dodim that I could have had. While emee knew ma kara to her whole mishpacha, there was some "mystery" that baffled both avi and savi. Saba used to tell us about his ach and achot who left home in Russia with the matara and tikvah of reaching either Eretz Yisrael or the "Goldene Medinah." The whereabouts of these ach and achot were never known. My saba never found out what happened to them lamrot all his ma'amatzim and this became a frequent noseh in our seechot at home. Several years after Milchemet Ha-aatzmaut, avi, who was an enginaer and a katzin in Tzahal, was sent to Artzot Ha-brit to further his studies. He lived in New York and used to read the eton b'Yiddish. He was especially interested in the mador la'chaepus krovim where people placed moda'ot looking for krovim who disappeared during the milchama. Avi, the born optimist decided to place a moda'ah looking for his long lost dod and doda. He was told that there is no tikva to find them but after placing the moda'ah he waited kol yom for a phone call bringing him the b'sorah that one of his krovim was found. The long awaited b'sorah did not come until he had already been back ba'bait, in Israel. Our simcha and hitragshoot cannot be described. We learned that our krovim did not read the eton b'Yiddish and they heard about the moda'ah from one of our uncle's patients. We found a mishpacha gdolah living in New Jersey, and an intense hitkatvoot followed. I was delighted to use my newly acquired skills in the English language and a real chaveroot grew out of the michtavim. Our krovim became interested in Yisrael and came on a bikkur for my son's brit. Years later, when we came to Artzot Habrit, they welcomed us like horim chavim and so they have treated us ever since. Being away from our mishpacha krova in Yisrael, they have been our mishpacha. When they all came to our son's Bar Mitzva, together with kol ha-mishpacha from Yisrael, this was the most exciting, beautiful eechud mishapachot We have ever attended. Meelon (dictionary) mishpacha gdolah chalom krovim horim achim achayot Shoah yalda ktana Yesh lee mazal luck) saba mavta doda chalutza chagim chag tza'ar ke'ev harbe dodim dodot b'ney dodim emes ma kara avi savi ach family big dream relatives parents brothers sisters holocaust girl little .I am lucky (I have grandfather grandmother aunt pioneer holidays holiday sorrow pain many uncles aunts cousins my mother what happened my father my grandfather brother sister achot aim, goal, objective matara hope tikva The "Goldene Medinah"The Golden Land (The U.S.A. in Yiddish) inspite of lamrot efforts ma'amatzim subject noseh conversations seechot Milchemet Ha' atzmaut ..The War of Independence katzim officer Tzahal ....The Israel Defense Army the U.S.A. Artzot Ha'brit newspaper eton b'Yiddish column in a newspaper Mador cheepus krovim . looking for relatives mador le'cheepus krovim .. a column in the paper where people look for lost relatives. (especially after the Second World War) ads Moda'ot an ad moda'ah every day kol yom good news b'sorah joy simcha excitement hitragshoot correspondence hitkatvoot letters michtavim visit bikkur loving parents horim chavim eechood mishpachot family reunion Desta's Journey Directions: Follow the aleph-bet, all the way through tet, to help Desta, of Ethiopia, join her family in Israel. Move one space up, down, right, left, or diagonally for each letter until you get Desta through the maze. Warning: There may be a few detours along the way. ANSWER ON PAGE L-8 Puzz e by Judy Silberg Loebl Desta is a fictional character. Her story can be found in the novel The Return, by Sonia Levitin. This book and others on the plight of Ethiopian Jews can be found at your local library or bookstore. THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS L-3