I’m working on another video, so you will get a notification of that very soon. This upcoming video experiment has proven to be a little bit more of a challenge than I was expecting, so it’s a good thing that I’m doing all my experimenting right now. I was hoping to have it ready with this email, but it will have to wait for a day or two.
For now, let’s talk about culture. One of the advantages of not travelling with a group is that I can change my plans on a whim and have a lot of time and freedom to interact with people. It helps, though, to have at least a basic understanding of the Israeli culture and to also learn a little bit of the language. Fortunately, there is a lot of cultural information available online. Here are a few links to some great information:
- Israeli Culture — Cultural Atlas (sbs.com.au)
- Things to Know About Israel’s Local Culture | Culture Trip (theculturetrip.com)
- Culture of Israel – history, people, clothing, traditions, women, beliefs, food, customs, family (everyculture.com)
I’ve also just started learning Hebrew using Rosetta Stone. If you’ve never used this program, it is a full immersion style of learning. Everything is through pictures and the Hebrew words – nothing in English. It is challenging, but I’m really enjoying learning so far. Rosetta offers a full lifetime license for all languages, which is the license I purchased, so after Israel, maybe I’ll pick a new language!
In addition to Rosetta Stone, I am also looking for Israeli shows or movies to watch. Right now, I’m watching a TV series called Srugim (Srugim on Amazon Prime). This a show about a group of religious friends that are single and in their 30s. They are trying to navigate a mostly secular world and must challenge their own faith at times. This is an excellent show to really learn a little bit about Jewish culture.
Look for another email in the next couple of days with a video link!
