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Like a fish out of water!?

I would like to share with you a part of my up growing as young girl.             Just to give some background, my mother is Israeli and my father is British. Therefore, my father spoke with my two sisters and me in English but my mother spoke with us in Hebrew. That way, we were exposed to both languages since we were born. I was born in London and was raised there up to the age of five. I loved London, my friends and my house. When I was five years old, my parents decided to move to Israel, and so we did. We moved to Ra'anana. Because of my love for London, I found my first year in Israel hard.  I found it difficult to adjust to the Israeli culture, and I was unhappy to become part of it. I avoided speaking Hebrew for nearly a year, although I knew it fluently. Moreover, because of differences in eating manners, I did not agree to eat in my new kindergarten for a few months. However, thanks to many other Anglo Saxons in my kindergarten and in my neighborhood, I was lucky to have many friends, to whom I could relate and with whom I could communicate.
Although my first year in Israel was complicated, and started with challenges and adjustment problems, I eventually got used to my new environment and even started to like it. The year after that, as I started primary school, it was much easier for me, and I was already like a fish out of water.

Today, after many years living in Israel, I can honestly say that although it wasn't easy at the beginning, nevertheless I am very grateful that my parents decided to make Aliya. In my eyes, although Israel has its fair share of problems, all in all it is the ideal place for Jews to live. For me, Israel is my home and land, and I wouldn't exchange it for anywhere else in the world.  

Comments

  1. elinorJanuary 24, 2018 at 10:40 AM

    Hi Matelle, I think your blog is very interesting and I am sure it reflects the experience of many other people in Israel. having learned Hebrew at a young age may help you understand what it's like for young Israelis learning English. Keep up the good work.

    ReplyDelete
  2. letterstoroiJanuary 25, 2018 at 7:56 AM

    I couldn't agree more about your living in Israel. I am grateful too. Thank you for sharing your story with us!

    ReplyDelete
  3. mikaFebruary 19, 2018 at 1:56 PM

    Cross- cultural adjustment is a long and sometimes challenging process. Everyone of us has a story to tell. Sometimes you are up, sometimes you are down. No matter what happens to us, it's our common home and we love it.

    ReplyDelete

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