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Rowan Berkeley
Relentless Limpet Shill
Joined: 05 Aug 2007
Posts: 306
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 Posted: Mon Aug 06, 2007 5:03 am Post subject: The extreme difficulty of learning Hebrew in London |
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I don't claim this has much to do with geopolitical skullduggery, but it may do. The story is, for many,many years, I have been keen on learning Hebrew. In the first place it is a gorgeous language (especially the deeply erotic gurgling noises of different sorts made at the back of the throat). In the second place, everything we are told about the Israelis by our mass media is lies - in fact, they are just like us but more so. I have a large collection of Israeli punk records.
Anyway, I was happily studying away with a woman called Nitza Spiro, who runs a sort of zionist cultural charity operation in Maryleone. I got through two and a half terms of part time classes at two hours a week. But here comes the sad denouement.
At one of these classes I met the mother of Guardian blogger Seth Freedman, who took a note of my name and googled it. The next day I received a pathetic communication from Nitza which,after a few remarks about my commendable industry, ends:
“I did however just come across a piece written by you about which I feel very angry and upset and insulted and am determined that at this point our paths must part.”
She offers a snapshot of the glove puppet dialogue from here:
http://www.philipweiss.org/mondoweiss/2007/01/david_gregory_p.html
I am sure you have experienced this glove puppetry, where people post garbage in your name.
kinda droll rilly… if anyone knows any other hebrew classes with nice low fees, please post a helpful hint. |
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Long Tooth
Moderate Poster
Joined: 06 Apr 2007
Posts: 306
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| Posted: Mon Aug 06, 2007 9:39 am Post subject: Re: The extreme difficulty of learning Hebrew in London |
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| Rowan Berkeley wrote: | I don't claim this has much to do with geopolitical skullduggery, but it may do. The story is, for many,many years, I have been keen on learning Hebrew. In the first place it is a gorgeous language (especially the deeply erotic gurgling noises of different sorts made at the back of the throat). In the second place, everything we are told about the Israelis by our mass media is lies - in fact, they are just like us but more so. I have a large collection of Israeli punk records.
Anyway, I was happily studying away with a woman called Nitza Spiro, who runs a sort of zionist cultural charity operation in Maryleone. I got through two and a half terms of part time classes at two hours a week. But here comes the sad denouement.
At one of these classes I met the mother of Guardian blogger Seth Freedman, who took a note of my name and googled it. The next day I received a pathetic communication from Nitza which,after a few remarks about my commendable industry, ends:
“I did however just come across a piece written by you about which I feel very angry and upset and insulted and am determined that at this point our paths must part.”
She offers a snapshot of the glove puppet dialogue from here:
http://www.philipweiss.org/mondoweiss/2007/01/david_gregory_p.html
I am sure you have experienced this glove puppetry, where people post garbage in your name.
kinda droll rilly… if anyone knows any other hebrew classes with nice low fees, please post a helpful hint. |
Ahh, the spice of life, thats what keeps the world interesting, welcome to the forum Rowan.
whats erotic for you can be the opposite for others, having had the misfortune to work on a kibbutz for 6 months, the hebrew language always reminds me of someone clearing their throat of a big green phlem ball.
When i went to the kibbutz it appears i had the same view as yourself, israelis very nice people, and those bad bad bad palastinian terrorists. Oh how green and wrong i was back in those days.
On arriving in Tel Aviv bus station to purchase my ticket to the kibbutz, i stood in the long line, when it was my turn at the counter, i was there no more than 2 minutes, then what seemed like an 18 year old boy prodded his ouzi in my back and told me to move on!!!!!! telling me i am holding the line up, i have dark hair and was very tanned as had been working in Cyprus for 5 months prior to my arrival, so maybe he assumed i was palastinian, this type of harrassment and discrimination happens all the time i was soon to observe.
the attitude of the israelis on the kibbutz was one of superiority to non jews, all volunteers were treated like scum, unless they were jewish, the attitude was we were nothing more than dogs and criminals.
After slaving on the kibbutz for 4 months we were 'treated' to a 3 day tour of 'historical' sites, masada etc. during the meals provided, akin to picnics we were allowed one slice of bread only with the meal and this system was regimented. i stayed on the kibbutz for 6 months, went to a , (dam forget the name now it was 25 years ago, but i think its called a moshav) another community were you get paid a pittance instead of volunteering, and spent a couple of months just traveling around, intersperced with a year in Egypt and the sinai.
Anyhow, in contrast to the israeli mentality i found every palastinian to be warm hearted and generous, my fellow co workers were in the majority palastinian, and i made many good friends there, i always remember going to a palastinian home on the occupied west bank and being offered the only coca cola in the fridege, the fridge was empty except this lone cola, but i was offered the coke, contrast that with the rich/fat kibbutz stores of food and being rationed to one slice of bread with the meal!!!!!! i can give many more examples but this one is a good reflection.
I went with the brainwashing of isrealis good, being sinned against etc, and the palastinians are a warped and evil peoples, i left with the excate opposite outlook, a very rich and rewarding experience, i would estimate from the thousands of fellow travellers i met, that 95%+ had the same view as myself.
As regards your learning hebrew being 'terminated' i would suggest that the isrealis do not want foreigners learning the language, dont want people knowing what they really think in private now. 
I would suggest a language learning course such as linguaphone, its only about £190, and its there to learn at your own pace and convienience, its not that expensive when you break the price down for all the lessons, and will work out cheaper than any language class in the long run. |
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Rowan Berkeley
Relentless Limpet Shill
Joined: 05 Aug 2007
Posts: 306
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| Posted: Mon Aug 06, 2007 9:42 am Post subject: I assure you I am not as starry eyed as you imagine |
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I assure you I am not as starry eyed as you imagine.
The israeli punk rock scene is quite refreshingly radical, folllowing the example of one of its pioneers, Nekhei Naatza - their first EP was called "Renounce Judaism" and their first album was called "A Blue and White Carthage":
http://www.sonicdeathsound.com/punk/naatza
The old communist party hq in tel aviv can always be relied upon to provide a venue for this sort of thing, along with a great many clubs of course. There is also neofolk, power electronics, noise, goths, etc.
Learning from records is no fun but if the worst comes to the worst I shall maybe have to do that.
P.s. - if you looked at the link, you will see how I was set up as a sort of super Daryl Bradford Smith, Eric Hufshmid, and Chris Bollyn rolled into one, by these vicious smear artists most of whom are probably about twelve years old and can never resist butchering whatever genuine quotes they use. |
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Rowan Berkeley
Relentless Limpet Shill
Joined: 05 Aug 2007
Posts: 306
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| Posted: Sun Aug 19, 2007 7:03 am Post subject: |
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I am having a remarkably difficult time finding any means of continuing with my study of this language, because EVERYONE who speaks it appears to belong to one or another ideological supremacist tendency that wants to exclude anyone it can't control.
Maybe this is because they regard the hebrew-speaking population of isro-palestine as vulnerable to propaganda in its own language, and wish to avoid this (I notice that Shamir doesn't publish his agitational tracts in hebrew).
Anyone in London who is prepared to spend an hour or two a week coaching me will get £10 per session, which is a lot better than a slap around the chops with a wet kipper. |
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Disco_Destroyer
Trustworthy Freedom Fighter
Joined: 05 Sep 2006
Posts: 6342
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| Posted: Sun Aug 19, 2007 12:31 pm Post subject: |
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I was a little surprised to hear someone (an old boy around 70) in a pub explain to a youngster that Hebrew lessons were taking place at the local Masionic Club that caught me because I thought did he mean Masonic or maybe it was Messianic. Now I wish I had enquired further. Equally strange is now come to think of it I can't remember where the episode had happened. Hmm I will let you know when I remember 
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'Come and see the violence inherent in the system.
Help, help, I'm being repressed!'
“The more you tighten your grip, the more Star Systems will slip through your fingers.”
www.myspace.com/disco_destroyer |
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Rowan Berkeley
Relentless Limpet Shill
Joined: 05 Aug 2007
Posts: 306
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| Posted: Sun Aug 19, 2007 12:37 pm Post subject: |
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| i can imagine, i really can. |
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Rowan Berkeley
Relentless Limpet Shill
Joined: 05 Aug 2007
Posts: 306
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| Posted: Mon Aug 27, 2007 7:10 am Post subject: |
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May I request that people go to Phil Weiss's blog :
http://www.philipweiss.org/mondoweiss/
and hassle him to remove the forged hate speech posted on his site under my name, and to notify Nitza Spiro (of the Spiro Ark, in London - my hebrew teacher) that he has done so, i.e., agreed that it is forged?
Just post comments to any of his threads, if you can't see any other way of contacting him (I certainly can't).
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http://niqnaq.wordpress.com |
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