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April 28, 2006
Ulpanim for every immigrant
A look at the language schools that created a burgeoning nation.
NECHEMIA MEYERS
The miraculous revival of the Jewish nation after 2,000 years of
exile can be attributed to a variety of factors, among them the
tenacity of the early Zionist pioneers, the bravery of the men and
women who defended the country and the creativity of its early farmers
and industrialists.
But the cornerstone of Zionism's triumph was undoubtedly the revival
of the Hebrew tongue, without which it would have been virtually
impossible to meld exiles from 100 lands, speaking several dozen
different languages, into a modern people.
The use of Hebrew became gradually more widespread as Zionist settlement
developed towards the end of the 19th century, but it was the ulpan
language schools, established just after the creation of the state
in 1948, that made it possible for immigrants to work together,
fight together and, eventually, to marry one another.
The first ulpan was set up in Jerusalem's picturesque Baka quarter
in 1949 and has, in the interval, taught some 30,000 university-trained
men and women in its five-month courses. The student body has changed
with the various waves of immigration, which means, of late, there
have been many students from the former Soviet Union.
The present group at Ulpan Etzion – 200 students divided into
eight class levels – includes university graduates from 28
countries, ranging from Italy, Cuba and Morocco to Belgium, Peru
and the United States. There are also some from Ethiopia. Unlike
the great majority of Ethiopian immigrants, who have little education
and scant possibilities of obtaining a high-level job in the near
future, the academics from Addis Ababa arrive in the country as
qualified professionals.
Establishing and running ulpanim, for academics and others, is not
cheap. Open to every new immigrant – including room and board
– they have cost millions over the years to the two bodies
that finance them, the Jewish Agency and the government of Israel.
Moreover, those young men and women who don't reach a reasonable
level of Hebrew during their five months at Etzion or elsewhere
are provided with another five months at a part-time ulpan, often
devoted to helping people in various professions to acquire the
specific Hebrew vocabulary they require in their field.
According to Shlomit Pillzer, director of Ulpan Etzion, "there
is nothing like the ulpan scheme anywhere in the world, and bodies
trying to foster their particular national language and culture
often send representatives here to study our methods. This was the
case, for example, with the Basque and the Welsh. Indeed, in Wales,
the teaching of Welsh takes place in what they call an ulpan.
"Etzion," Pillzer pointed out, "is far more than
just a Berlitz-style language school. It is also an absorption centre
that is dedicated to helping its students to become acquainted with
various aspects of Israeli culture and solving the variety of problems
that are bound to arise when moving from one country to another."
Ulpan Etzion is proud of its graduates, none more so than the late
Ephraim Kishon, a world-famous humorist and playwright. When he
arrived from Hungary in 1949, he spoke only Hungarian. It wasn't
too long before he was not only being published in Hebrew but inventing
new words that have enriched his adopted language. It was Kishon
who once pointed out that – ulpanim notwithstanding –
Israel was the only country in the world where "mothers learn
their mother tongue from their children."
Ulpan students from the former Soviet Union are apt to absorb the
fundamentals of the Hebrew language more quickly, for example, than
young men and women from places where English is spoken. This is
apparently because Russian, like Hebrew, is a very structured language,
while English has innumerable exceptions to its rules. Another factor
could also be that English is a lingua franca in Israel almost to
the same extent as Hebrew, and Anglos can get by almost anywhere
with English.
Luba Geller and her husband, Alexander, both speak good Hebrew,
which they learned at an ulpan in Rehovot. Alexander Geller also
studied on his own. Perhaps most important, his colleagues at the
high-tech firm where he works are mostly native Hebrew speakers,
and fluent Hebrew was essential to his becoming an integral part
of the group. Luba Geller works on her own, as a manicurist, but
she speaks to most of her customers in Hebrew, which is steadily
improving.
"This contrasts with the situation of immigrants who associate
almost exclusively with fellow Russians," she said. "They
read Russian-language papers, watch Russian-language TV and even
in places where Hebrew is essential – like a Kupat Holim clinic,
a national insurance office or a supermarket – they almost
always find someone who can translate for them."
While most ulpanim are dedicated to helping new immigrants adjust
to life in Israel, prestigious Ulpan Akiva, in the seaside town
of Netanya, primarily helps seniors improve their Hebrew. The ulpan
also offers Hebrew classes for Arabs and Arabic classes for Jews.
Less known is Akiva's contribution to the diplomatic corps, whose
members are invited to attend courses that will help them understand
and even speak the language of the Bible. One of Akiva's star graduates
is the Swedish ambassador to Israel, Robert Rydberg. When asked
why he took the trouble to study Hebrew, Rydberg replied, "I
thought it was important to make an effort even if, professionally,
I could have managed quite well with English in this country. If
you know Hebrew, you feel closer to the society around you, understand
what people are talking about and are able to follow a bit of the
news.
"I've found time after time that Israeli audiences appreciate
my efforts to speak Hebrew and respond more warmly to my remarks
when I make them in Hebrew, rather than English. Knowledge of the
language also helps me to gain a greater understanding of Jewish
culture and history."
Nechemia Meyers is a freelance writer living in Rehovot,
Israel.
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