Hava Nedaber Ivrit: A New, Special Exodus For Israel

By NIRA LEV

z -

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 and a
vocabulary list with English
translations. 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:
Pesach in Yisrael has always
occupied makom merkazi on luach
ha'shana ha'yehudi — first as
yeladim and then as horim.
One of the many zichronot I
have relating to this exciting chag,
is the keeseh rehk at the beautifully
decorated shoolchan, and the
short, but dramatic and touching,
paragraph my horim added to the
Haggadah and had us all repeat
b'yachad, rising up solemnly and
facing the keeseh rek at the table.
That keeseh, we were told, was
a reminder of all our achim in
Russia who cannot celebrate this
Chag Ha'chofesh like all the
Yehudim in the world. We all recited
a t'feelah on behalf of our achim in
Russia, ending with the pasook:
"Shalach et ami," and "Le'shana
ha' ba'ah bi'rushalayim." Hashana
in Yisrael a mishpacha roosit may
be sitting at shoolchan ha'seder
instead of a keeseh rek.
The nes we have been waiting
for and praying for has occurred:
masach ha'barzel has lifted, and
me'ot of our achim yehudim from
Roosia are coming to Yisrael every
chodesh in what can be called:
Yetzee'at Roosia 1990.
Chag Ha'Pesach has always
been a chag when we celebrate
chofesh and cherut, when we
rejoice being delivered from and
attaining our cherut. At the same
time, Pesach has also been a chag
when we think of all our achim and
all anashim and amim who have
not attained their chofesh and
atzma'ut yet and who are still in
some kind of avdut.
This Pesach, we are
celebrating not only Yetzee'at
Mitzrayim when we became an am,
but also the recently gained chofesh
of our achim from Roosia. Both in
Yisrael and here, in America,
ma'amatz gadol is being made to
make the kleeta of the ohm as fast

and smooth as possible and to give
them all the ezra they need to
become chelek of the kehillah and
feel ba'bayit.
B'Yisrael both the memshala
and the ezrachim are putting in
zman, koach, and kesef to provide
the olim with dirot and avoda, to
teach them Ivrit and to help their
yeladim at school. A special project
was started: "Mivtza Keruv
Levavot" — "Heart to Heart" —
where the ezrachim of Yisrael
volunteer to help the olim in any
possible way.
People bring rahitim and
b'gadim, and all kinds of kelim to
specially designated merkazim.
Russian speaking rof'eem and
other professionals volunteer to help
the olim free of charge. In batey
ha'sefer both talmidim and morim
offer all the help they can to the
talmidim olim. Israel is opening its
arms and its lev to the newcomers,
as does the whole Jewish world.

Our kehillah here in Detroit,
has responded enthusiastically to
the etgar of helping in the kleeta of
the Soviet Jews. Special educational
programs have been designed to
help Russian yeladim to become
part of our kehillah, to teach them
about their moreshet Yehudit and
help them meet American Jewish
yeladim of their age. In the Jewish
community high school, Russian

and American b'nei noar meet in a
special program where they share
different experiences available to
b'nei noar in our kehillah and
listen to various speakers together.
When we celebrate Pesach this
spring, the pasook "Avadim
ha'yinu, ata b'nei chorin" will be
more meaningful than ever.

Meelon (Dictionary)

makom, merkazi
central
luach ha'shanah
ha'yehudi ....the Jewish calendar
yeladim
children
horim
parents
zichronot
memories
chag
a holiday
keeseh
a chair
rehk
empty
shoolchan
table
b'yachad
together
achim
brothers
Chag ha'chofesh
the holiday
of freedom
Yehudim
Jews
t'feelah
a prayer
pasook
verse
shalach et ami! .. Let my people go!
Le'shanah ha'ba'ah
bi'rushalayim
next year in
Jerusalem
ha'shanah
this year
mishpach roosit
. a Russian family
nes
a miracle
masach ha'barzel ..the Iron Curtain

me'ot
hundreds
chodesh
month
chofesh
freedom
cherut
liberty
anashim
people
amim
nations
atzma'ut
independence
avdut
slavery
Yetzee'at Mitzrayim
the Exodus
am
nation
ma'amatz gadol
a great effort
kleeta
absorption
olim
immigrants
ezra
help
chelek
a part
kehillah
community
ba'bayit
at home
memshala
government
ezrachim
citizens
zman
time
koach
energy, strength
kesef
money
dirot
apartments
avoda
work
Ivrit
Hebrew
Mitvtza Keruv Levavot Heart to
Heart Project
rahitim
furniture
b'gadim
clothes
kelim
dishes
rof'eem, rofeh
doctors, a doctor
batey ha'sefer
the schools
talmidim
students
morim
teachers
lev
heart
etgar
challenge
moreshet Yehudit . Jewish Heritage
b'nei noar
youth

Finding The Way To Israel

Directions: Help Vladimir and his family leave the Soviet Union and arrive in Israel for Passover. As you travel
through the maze, collect only the letters needed to solve the puzzle. Unscramble the letters to find a
Passover surprise that awaits Vladimir at the seder. (The Answer Is Two Words).

PUZZLE BY JUDY STLBERG LOEBL

U

1

1111 . 1 k

S

V

X

A

L

P

K

E

T

G

Answer On Page L-8

THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS

L-3