Being an Immigrant, Solving Puzzles

Sunrise from my balcony in Israel

I'm just going to say it: one of my best friends in Israel, Google Translate, is a huge enabler.

To the right, the sunrise. Pretty great. I wake up, go outside, pray and sing. But today I felt like saying hi.

What is it like becoming a new citizen here? 

Despite English being a second language to many, many Israelis (they learn it in school) communicating always starts with Hebrew. Knowing Hebrew, understanding it and speaking it, is important. We work on ours daily despite having learned to read and write in early childhood. We have the tools, but neither FD or I ever really learned to speak the language. 

Israelis will say: It's easy! Much of our language is really English but Hebra-isized. The problem is that when we read something in Hebrew our brains automatically assume all words are new to us. So we waste a few minutes working them out only to come to realize that the word פצצההת, for example, is just Pizza Hut. Or that סופרמרקת means supermarket. Or the word סייסו, means 'say so' and sounds exactly the same way in Hebrew. 

Being a 'greener' means forever solving puzzles. Who doesn't like a good puzzle?

More on being an immigrant: 

When a Jew moves to Israel she has typically spent 6 months to a year proving her identity to the Israeli government, the Jewish Agency. The application complete, a Visa Olah B in hand, the new citizen has the right to travel to Israel and enjoy the benefits of merely being new citizens. FD and I did this, spent months and months banging our heads against the wall to pass bureaucratic muster, finally receiving the blessing to return. Then, upon landing at Ben Gurion, we were ushered to a room to meet with a government official who explained our rights and delivered our temporary identification cards. Quite a rush. The endorphins insane.

The laws applying to new citizens are beneficent, generous, and include monthly stipends, free Hebrew classes, breaks on mortgages, a break on the purchase of a new automobile, a free flight if it is absolutely unaffordable. There are more. It is impressive, but it is the Israeli people who astound me. 

When FD and I are lost or can't figure out what we have to do in any situation, all we have to say is: Anachnu olim chadashim, we are new immigrants. Smiles follow, looks of incredulity. WELCOME! WELCOME HOME! WHEN DID YOU GET HERE! WHERE ARE YOU FROM? The welcome is in heavily accented English, sometimes in Hebrew and following that, there is so much kindness. They bend over backwards to help. It is magical. 

Upon hearing the magic words, we are new citizens, following the big welcome, many will say: NOW? You want to come to Israel NOW? You do know there is a war here, right?

And we say yes, we are aware. We do not say that we would rather die here Heaven Forbid, than live anywhere else. But we are thinking that and it is understood. This is the attitude of most people who live here, not that there aren't those who could use a well deserved break from the chaos. But it would be a temporary trip. This is our country is the general feeling. God gave it to us and we will never abandon it, we will never abandon Eretz Yisrael, the Land of Israel.  

The war? You want to know about that? 

It is a very ugly war. 

Today I read that the bodies of six more hostages have been found and that one soldier has died. I only read blips of news because it is as disturbing here as it is in the USA, which says a lot. But when a soldier or a hostage or an innocent civilian dies, we hear about it and we cry. It is automatic. 

Enough for today. 

Shabat Shalom, Peace,

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