Conference taveng::bagels

    So, you wanna learn Ivrit?  You seem to be in a bit of a hurry.
    If you want to get one of those learn-at-home kits, then I think
    that Berlitz sells those kinds of packages in various languages.
    
    But if you live in the Boston area, and you're willing to devote
    some free time, then I'd strongly suggest inquiring into Hebrew
    College's ulpan program.  They have (in my opinion) the best program
    going outside of Israel.  With some concentration you should be
    able to pick up about 50% fluency, you can never achieve complete
    fluency due to one problem - when you step outside the door another
    language is being spoken.
    
    David 

    Thanx for the info, David!! Well, I do not live in the Boston area
    (in fact I live in Madrid, Spain), but if there is no better
    possibility I will acquire the complete tapes/grammar set from those
    guys. So, David, I need the address of the Hebrew College (or you
    think it is better for me to write directly to any other Israeli
    official University or College? Being this the case, I would need
    the address too as Spain did open diplomatic relationships with
    Israel only last March...).
    
    Waiting your input!

    THE BEST PLACE TO START IS TO CALL THE MADRID SEPHARADIC SYNAGOGUE
    AND SPEAK TO THE RABBI OR THE HEADMASTER OF THEIR HEBREW SCHOOL.
    THEY ARE LOCAL AND THEY CAN RECOMMEND A PROGRAM TO MEET YOUR NEEDS.
    
                                         GOOD LUCK
                                         
    SYLVAIN.
    

    Well next time I'll pay attention to the node name, excuse me if
    I was too assuming of you to be in the Boston area.  Usually the
    discussions have been held mainly between here and Israel, it's
    good to see some chevrei from Europe joining in.
    
    You may also want to try the Israeli embassy (or consulate?) in
    Madrid for information.
    
    David

    The title is your first Hebrew lesson how to say in Hebrew "I want
    to learn Hebrew".
    
    I'll try to find a suitable course for you, do you have any basic knowledge
    in Hebrew, like the "ALEPH-BEIT" ?
    
    About dictionary, do you want a small (pocket) dictionary?
    
    From time to time there are people from our subsidiary that are going to
    MADRID so I'll try to find someone that will bring it to you or I'll send
    it in the internal mail.
    Please send me you full name and address.
    Hope to see you here in ISRAEL,
    
    Shalom,
    
    Avi
    

	For anyone who wants/needs a cassette course, I recommend the Pimsleur
Hebrew language course.  It is expensive (~$250-300), but much more extensive
than any other course of its type.  It comes with 15-20 hours of (relatively)
interactive conversational material, the Hebrew spoken by a couple of native
Israelis and the English part spoken by a native (American) English speaker.
There is a pamphlet that helps one to learn the alephbet and to recognize
the ~200-word vocabulary when written in voweless Ivrit.

	I used the tapes to practice my Hebrew before my last trip and found
that I could use it effectively to get around (i.e. ask directions, understand
the answers, buy tickets, merchandise, etc.), even though it was not adequate
for philosophical discussions or following television debates.  (As for
the latter, I happened to be there during the Likud convention last spring
and one did not have to understand the language to follow the tv coverage--
but that's another story...)

	Since I could read Hebrew (i.e. understand, not merely vocalize)
to some extent before taking this course, I may not be the best example,
but since my ability to converse--even simply--was virtually non-existent,
I was amazed at the effectiveness of this program.  I have tried some of
the Berlitz and similar courses and, for me, they were a waste of time.

					Aaron

    Regarding a Hebrew dictionary, I can recommend a very handy pocket
    dictionary:
    			Ben-Yehuda's Pocket
    			  English-Hebrew
    			  Hebrwe-English
    			    Dictionary
    		Ehud Ben-Yehuda / David Weinstein
    
    		published by Pocket Books New York
    
    		ISBN: 0-671-47211-9
    
    		List price: $ 4.95 
    
    It is available - almost - everywhere.
    
    I do not have any commercial interests in the publishers.
                                 

    To all of you: thanks!! (Avi, I would like to say it in Ivrit...)
    Is very kind of you to help me this way because, surprisingly, it
    has been very difficult to get Hebrew language material round here.
    And I say "surprisingly" because here in Spain there are lot of
    interest about anything concerning Israel (quite wonderful seeing
    the Spanish people in the streets the day we open diplomatic
    relationships with israel at last after years in the darkness).
    
    Here in DEC subsidiary there are people speaking in Dutch, Afrikaans,
    Norwegian, French, German, Italian, Serbian and English and now
    I would like to learn Hebrew (Kol Yisroel is received with many
    many watts on short-wave and you can now find Hazaret newspaper
    on the stands).
    
    Well, sad to say some guys intend to link my country to the Arabian
    development when in fact we owe much more to Israel. Hope to be
    back in this note file when visiting Israel next summer.
    
    And hopefully I will be able to drop you all a line in Ivrit!!!
    
    

    Para tu informacion, hay dos diccionarios Hebreo-Castellano que
    yo conozco, uno bueno y el otro ... tampoco. El mejor es el de Alcalay
    (quizas su familia provenga de Alcala de Henares, o de otra Alcala
    - o de algun castillo perdido KALAAT en Arabe). El otro es el de
    Cohen-Fernandez, inferior a mi juicio al de Alcalay. Ambos son
    publicados aqui en Israel, tratare de conseguirte la Editorial o
    alguna forma de poder conseguirlos.
    
    En cuanto al curso, lo mejor que conozco es tomar un avion en el
    verano y probar en algun Ulpan (Instituto) aqui...
    
    Hasta entonces,
    
    Juan-Carlos Kiel
    

re: 256.9  [I don't really know Spanish well, but after working on
Spanish DECtalk for 2 years, I can fake it.   I've omitted things that
either weren't interesting or that I don't feel I could translate
accurately.]

"For your information, there are two Hebrew-Spanish dictionaries that I
know of -- one good and the other ... so-so.  The better is that of
Alcalay ... The other is Cohen-Fernandez, inferior in my judgement to
that of Alcalay.  Both are published here in Israel, ... 

As for courses, the best is to take a plane in the summer and try
an Ulpan (school) here.

Until then,

    Re .9
    
    It's been many years since I spoke Spanish in highschool (more years
    than I care to think about). Even so I was able to understand about
    99% of 256.9. Now let's see how much I remember.
    
    Mi llamo Fievel. ;-)

    I want to make an offer to anyone interested. I can send you tapes
    of Spanish songs, radio discussions, and magazines if you like.
    This way anyone wanting to refresh his Spanish will get a first
    hand source. I will like to receive tapes in Hebrew too to get used
    to the way it sounds (Kol Yisroel is not very good to tape due to
    noisy recording levels).
    
    And I've got another question. I have bought an LP by Steve Reich
    named "Tellihim" (all the LP in Hebrew, wonderful!) Can anyone out
    there tell me what about getting Israeli music groups? I would enjoy
    listening those beautiful songs I have listened in Kol Yisroel.
    
    They make me feel great! I could send you Spanish music if you wish.
    Waiting for inputs!

I AM INTERESTED in a record that contains a song from a spanish film from
a few years ago. The film was with Geraldin Chaplin, and the song was sung
by (I think) Janet. The film was called something like "Cria Cuervos" (I'm
not good at Spanish).

Since I collect records - a record is prefered to a cassette, but if there
is none - a cassette will do...

I promise to send back any type of music that you like (if I have it - I have
about 500 records). Just give me the address and the preferred media (hopefully
cassettes).

If you manage to get the record (or cassette) - maybe you should send it
to me through the address of the office:

Digital House,
Accadia Junction,
Herzliya 46733
I S R A E L
for: Nitsan Duvdevani

Thanks (Gracias?) in advance,
Nitsan.

    Hi Nitsan!
    
    I will check for your song. It is a well-known sad song from Janet
    that it was famous because of the film. I prefer cassettes, but
    you name the group because I don't know any Israeli musicians yet.
    
    I will send you the record if I get it (I think there is no problem).
    
    Shalom, Nitsan!

    I'm very sorry I made out of this conference a private conversation
    when I wrote .9 in Spanish. I keep on forgetting there are some
    people that are not absolutely fluent in Spanish...
    
    I also didn't see my node appeared as 52465, which does not say
    explicitely DEC Israel. So, first of all, I'm Juan Carlos Kiel,
    born in Argentina and a "New Immigrant" in Israel (Oleh Hadash)
    since 1982 - a long five years ago. Every now and then I still get
    mixed and answer mail in Spanish, talk to my wife in English and
    send telexes abroad in Hebrew...
    
    Re .10: thanks, the translation is accurate. Perhaps that is the
    way I should have written it.
    
    Regards, Juan-Carlos.
    

Re. -2,3:

Hi Ruben, if you want a cassette I need an address to send it to...

Nitsan.