Learning The Language
Of Our Fathers and Daughters
SHIRLEE ROSE IDEN SPECIAL TO THE JEWISH NEWS
Orrefors
M
(s';'
— fine china, fine crystal and interesting gifts —
Bloomfield Plaza • 6566 Telegraph Road at Maple
li
4 1 L
Bloomfield Hills • 851-5533
FOR THE FIRST TIME IN DETROIT!
THE BEST AND MOST POPULAR
GROUP OF GYPSY
SINGERS, DANCERS & MUSICIANS
FROM RUSSIA
The Gypsy Ensemble RUS presents:
• Fiery music and dance
• Russian and Gypsy love songs
• Virtuoso guitar performance
• Bright, spectacular costumes
Sunday, January 9, 1994 7:00 p.m.
UNITED HEBREW SCHOOLS
21550 W. Twelve Mile Rd., Southfield
Tickets: $15 General admission $12 Seniors
Available at: MINSK INTERNATIONAL FOODS,
15600 W. 10 Mile, #10, Southfield, or at the door.
For additional information call 559-0545.
ore than 20 years af-
ter pledging to my-
self that I would
someday learn He-
brew in an ulpan, I drove
with my husband, Jack, from
the lively city of Netanya and
our rented apartment, to the
Green Beach Hotel where a
part of Israel touches the blue
Mediterranean.
Site of the internationally
noted Ulpan Akiva, the
Green Beach is a modest and
ramshackle resort, a complex
of buildings crying for order
and repair. Classes are
taught in white, one-story,
painted buildings, with no li-
brary, short on space and
contemporary comforts.
The Akiva experience, how-
ever, endows students and
staff alike, with something
beyond the mundane and
physical. The aim is to bring
people together, to promote
understanding through dia-
logue and dedication.
We embarked to learn the
language of our fathers and
our daughters, Tzviah and
Elanna. Tzviah's Arabnian
horses, "Teeka Too," "Talu-
mi," "Helwi" and "Rocky" had
a higher comprehension of
Hebrew than we two new stu-
dents.
We came to understand
that our experience in He-
brew education was a calcu-
lated plot, that we had been
inveigled to finally put our
minds to our Hebrew studies
by our girls who wanted us to
be independent and at ease
in the country of their choice,
Prize nomination in 1992.
This year she was again a
nominee.
Ceremonies complete, Jack
and I were assigned to the
same beginner class and took
\ our places on the bottom rung
of ulpan studies with 12 oth-
er students, diverse in age,
\ origin and study incentives.
Within two days, Yardena
Raveh, our energetic and de-
\ termined teacher, had
taught us to recognize the
; entire Hebrew alphabet.
The next move focused on
reading and writing, ac-
complishments to be en-
hanced and encouraged
with rigorous home study,
liberally applied.
Jack and I would wind
up the sessions with a walk
into Netanya's promenade
Teacher Yardena Raveh
and the treat of our choice, ei-
ther
an ice cream cone or a fe-
to travel at will and be part
lafel.
of the action.
Thirteen years ago, Yarde-
At the ulpan, we were re-
na came to Ulpan Akiva as a
ceived along with more than
volunteer, later as a teacher.
40 other new students who
A teacher who never stops
had come to Israel from
learning, she takes a warm-
Japan, England, Russia,
hearted interest in each stu-
France, Germany, Mexico,
dent, but declares that Amer-
Moldawa, Cuba, the Nether-
icans are spoiled and
lands and Italy. Just in case
unaccustomed to language
someone didn't know, the
studies. "I'm a specialist in
first point made was: Hebrew
begiimer
classes," she said.
reads from right to left.
Yardena's grandparents
Shulamit Katznelson, who
came to Rehovot in the 1880s
founded Ulpan Akiva at Ne-
from Yemen where Jewish
tanya 42 years ago, hosted
people often were forced into
the reception, just as
Islam.
she had time and
"They
again while welcom-
dreamed
ing more than
of Zion
65,000 students of
and when
Hebrew and Arabic
they came
since 1951.
to the
"They came, and
land, my
still come, to learn
grand-
the language that
mother
God spoke to Abra-
maintained
ham, Moses and
a family
Jacob," she said.
with a little
"To learn a lan-
scrap of
guage is to be
agriculture
able to ask a
around her
question or to
house."
give an answer.
Fiercely
But if we reach, Daniel, new immigrant
from the Ukraine.
Zionistic, the
we can teach."
dark-haired
For Ms. Katz-
teacher believes every new
nelson, a petite dynamo
immigrant must be well
dressed in a long skirt and
taught if real absorption is
white blouse trailing a flow-
to be accomplished. "Arab
ing print scarf, the goal is to
and Jewish students living
see each student imprinted
together don't make the
with the ABCs of co-existence
peace. We have real problems
through words. Her reputa-
to solve and must speak out
tion as a champion of under-
about them."
standing through dialogue
When both teacher and
earned her a Nobel Peace