Dear Language Enthusiast,
We invite you to the exciting new edition of our Hebrew newsletter. For those of you
unfamiliar with our newsletter, we hope that it helps to polish your Hebrew skills by
combining useful information and cultural insight.
As the cold weather begins here in New Hampshire, we are brought together for warm family
gatherings. One New England tradition is a Sunday dinner at the grandparents' house,
complete with pumpkin pie and hot cider, after a long day of apple picking or admiring the
colored leaves of the forest. However, different countries have different traditions that
bring them together. Therefore, our newsletter will focus on a uniquely Israeli
"family": the kibbutz, where an entire community forms an extended family. We
feel it is necessary to understand the traditions of family and community in Israel in
order to better understand the way language reflects cultural values.
Also included are tips for Languages of the World users.
The first half is in transliterated Hebrew followed by the English translation.
Sincerely,
Transparent Language
www.transparent.com
Ha'amerikaim gilu la'akharona she"tsarikh kfar shalem kdey legadel yeled." Ulam
khavrey kibutsim beyisrael tamid rau bkhakh derekh khayim.
Hakibuts hu hityashvut kafrit shitufit. Hakibutsim harishonim nosdu bitkhilat hameya
haesrim. Mehagrim yehudiyim, asher higru l'erets yisrael (az palestin) ratsu livnot et
ha'arets ulfateyach et hakhaklaut ve'et ma'arekhet hakvishim, bimdinat yisrael ha'atidit.
Lakibutsim hayu matarot khevratiyot, politiyot vkhalkaliyot. Rabim meyhamyasdim hayu
sotsiyalistim, vhayishuvim, shehem hekimu, shikfu et hashkafat haolam shelahem. Hahon shel
hakibuts hu mshutaf. Emtsaey haytsur vhatsrikha hem b'va'alut hak'hila
uvishlitata.Vehakhaverim mishtatfim beofen pa'il b'kabalat hahakhlatot hakalkaliyot
vhakhevratiyot.
Bakibutsim, hamivne hamishpakhti gam ken banui sviv habayit hakibutsi. Yeladim garu
bvatey-yeladim im bney gilam. Hatipul bahem na'asa bidey khaver-kibuts (al pi rov khavera)
asher shubats la'avod beveyt hayeldim. Ha-arukhot hayomyomiyot, seudot hashabat vhekhag
vetokhniyot habidur meshutafot gam-ken. Davar ze, kamuvan, mkhazek et tekhushat
hamishfakhtiyut. Tkhusha zo amuka ad kdey kakh shebeyney khavrey kibuts rabim mashmaut
mhamishpat: "Ani holekh habayta", hi lema'ase "Ani holekh lkibuts".
Hakibuts lo haya tsurat hahityashvut haykhida. Tnuat hamoshavim, tsurat hityashvut kafrit
shniya, hekhela lhitpateyakh bishnot haesrim shel hameya. Lkhavrey moshav yesh yoter
atsmaut kalkalit omishpakhtit measher lkhavrey kibuts, vkhol mishpakha mnahelet et meshek
habayit ve'et hameshek hakhaklayi shela, ulam hakniyot vhashivuk hem mshutafim. Olim
khadashim rabim he'edifu orakh khayim ze al pney urakh hakhayim hakibutsi.
Tnuat hakibutsim avra bashanim ha'akharonot shinuyim rabim hen bamishor hamishki v'hen
bamishor nakhebrati. Hakolkala shel kibutsim rabim mvuseset hayom pakhot al hakhnasot
mekhaklaut vyoter al kakhnasot mitayarut umita'asiya. Vhakhaverim nehenim hayom meyatsmaut
kalkalit vkhevratit raba yoter meyasher beavar.
Hemivne hamishpakhti gam ken avar shinuyim b'esrim hashanim ha'akharonot. Kibutsim rabim
hekhelu la'avor milina mshutefet l'lina mishpakhtit. Lma'ase mishinat 1997 lo kayemet lina
mshutefet b'af kibutsi. Kaet, lamrot shebney hameshek mevalim et marbit sheot hayom im
khavreyhem, hem y'sheynim b'vatey hahorim ad shnat bar-hamitsva hakitatit. Nosaf lkhakh,
bkhelek mahakibutsim kyom lo samim yoter dagesh al p'iluyot khevratiyot meshutafot.
Umishpakhot rabot ma'adifot kaet le'ekhol babtim shelahen ulvalot et ha'aravim babayit im
bney hamishpakha measher l'hishtatef bifiluyot khevratiyot.
Yakhad im zot bakibutsim adayin samim dagesh al akharayut hadadit v'al khayey shituf.
Yaldey hakibuts khayavim la'avod b'ekhad meyanfey hameshek. Banim (ubanot) mitbadrim ovdim
bederekh klal yot ekhad bashavua v'lomdim bishar hayamim. Hakibutsim tormim teruma
mashmautit lakalkala vlakhevra hayisrelit, meyal umeyever la'akhuz hayakhasi shekhavrey
hakibutsim mehavim baukhlosiya haklalit. Gam akhuz khavrey hakibutsim asher mitnadvim
lesharet bikhidot muvkharot o lesharet kiktsinim batsava. Gavoha l'eyn arokh mehamispar
hayakhasi shelahem b'tokh klal haukhlosiya.
Hakibutsim khayavim amnam l'hishtanot ulhitpateyach al mnat l'hamshikh l'hitkayem. Yakhad
im zot hem khayavim l'vadey sheshinuyim ele lo yigremu l'shinuyim rabim miday bamivne
hakhevrati v'hamishpakhti hameyafyenim otam.
Sources:
Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Jewish Telegraphic Agency
Kibbutz Cabri homepage
In English:
Americans have recently discovered that "It takes a village to raise a child,"
but on Israel's kibbutzim, members have always integrated the idea into their lives.
A kibbutz is a rural cooperative settlement. The first kibbutzim were founded in the early
twentieth century. Jewish immigrants to Israel (then Palestine) sought to rebuild the land
and develop agriculture as well as to provide infrastructure for an eventual state of
Israel.
The kibbutzim had social goals as well as political and economic ones. Many kibbutz
founders were socialists, and the communities they created reflected their philosophy.
Kibbutzim are characterized by the collectivization of labor and capital. Production and
consumption are communally owned and controlled, with kibbutz members participating in
decision-making.
Within early kibbutzim, family structure was also community-centered. Children lived with
other children their age. Their primary caregiver was a member of the community assigned
the duty of childcare, generally a woman. Daily meals, as well as Sabbath and holiday
celebrations, were community events; entertainment was also communal. This further
reinforced the family feeling of the community. The feeling is so deep that for many
kibbutz members, the phrase "going home" means going to the kibbutz.
The kibbutz movement was not the only communal movement. The moshav, a second form of
communal farm, began in the 1920s. Members of moshavim have more economic and family
autonomy. On a moshav, each family maintains its own farm and household, while purchasing
and marketing are cooperatively operated. Many immigrants preferred the moshav lifestyle
to that of the kibbutz.
The kibbutz movement has recently experienced many changes, both economic and social.
Kibbutzim often have non-agricultural economies, depending instead on manufacturing or
tourism for their income. Individuals have more financial and social autonomy than in the
past.
Family structure has also changed. In the last 20 years, kibbutzim have moved from
communal sleeping quarters for children to family living arrangements. Since 1997, no
kibbutz has had separate children's housing. Now, although they spend much of the day with
their peers, kibbutz children live with their families until reaching Bar Mitzvah age. In
addition, some kibbutzim emphasize communal activities less. Families may eat dinner in
their own homes and spend their evenings there instead of in common areas.
Kibbutzim still emphasize social solidarity, however. As soon as they are old enough,
children are assigned tasks within the community. Teenagers often take one day from school
each week to work for the kibbutz. Kibbutzim also make special contributions to Israeli
society. Their economic and agricultural production far outweighs the percentage of
citizens living on them. Similarly, young people from kibbutzim volunteer for special
units of the Israeli army in disproportionate numbers.
While kibbutzim must continue to evolve in order to survive, they are also striving to
ensure that the sense of community and family that has characterized them does not change.
Tips for Languagues of the World!
1. Are you bored with the screen colors in Languages of the World? Choose View / Preferences
/ Color and change the screen to fit your mood!
2. When you start getting comfortable with a language, challenge yourself! Test your
vocabulary comprehension by hiding the Word Meaning window and reading the Title, or by
hiding the Segment window and typing your own Segment translations in the Notes tab. To
hide the information in any Reference window, click the bar above the window. Click it
again to restore the information and check your understanding.
