Attention English speakers: Israel wants you to teach their over-crowded classes

[IndianaGreen]

There you go, something positive for a change!

Last update - 10:28 15/05/2009

Attention English speakers: Israel wants you to teach their over-crowded classes

By Suzanne Hyman

Every few years Israel tries unsuccessfully to lure Diaspora Jews into making aliyah and becoming English teachers in its schools. Now, they are trying again with a new angle - the economic woes in the United States.

"There is always a shortage of English teachers and you have to ask, where are you going to find new ones?" Dr. Judy Steiner, Chief Inspector for English Language Education in Israel told Haaretz.

Given the current financial problems in the United States, the Ministry of Education and the Jewish Agency hope to find more Anglos willing to consider an exciting future in teaching English to Israeli youth.

<snip>

The immigrant teachers have the option of living in an absorption center in Jerusalem or Ra'anana, and the opportunity to study in Jerusalem or Tel Aviv, at a ministry-approved college. They get an absorption "basket" of NIS 1,500 per month as well as a stipend and loan for tuition that becomes a grant once they receive their certificates and start teaching.

But will the training provide the new immigrants with enough tools so that they are able to survive in the Israeli school system? Volk says that the training begins with an internship in a setting of about 15 students - much smaller than the usual class size, which can climb to more than 40 students.

Many candidates for the program are young, recent college graduates who fell in love with Israel after enjoying a free 10-day Birthright trip, and are enthusiastic about contributing to the country through their English skills.

But being a native English speaker has its drawbacks. While there is the advantage of easier communication in English with students, there is also the problem of a lack of Hebrew, which may prove to be a stumbling block for new immigrants trying to integrate into Israeli society.

http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1085826.html

We need more progressives in Israel.

[elleng]

1. My daughter thought of taking a Birthright trip,

but couldn't due to her own class schedule.

I have the time, but have NO INTEREST in travel to Israel.

[IndianaGreen]

2. If I were younger and was by myself, I would find this offer very tempting

Life gets complicated the older one gets. :-(

[elleng]

3. Yes, it does.

I could/would do it if it were elsewhere, I think.

[shaayecanaan]

4. Im always amused how western Jews start calling themselves "Anglo Saxons" after they move to Israel.

I suppose once you move to a country that is 75% Jewish, it can be a bit hard for a Jewish-American Princess to maintain the exclusivity of one's social cachet.

Unless of course you reinvent yourself as a WASP, fake a transatlantic accent, join a country club and drink Earl Grey tea whilst chatting about the cricket (yeah, they actually have cricket in Israel - its nearly as big as baseball over there).

A Israeli friend of mine (the wrong kind) told me that during a recent political debate a Mizrahi referred to his white opponent as a "WASP with cottage cheese on top". I thought to myself, its that kind of straight talk that is sadly missing from political discourse these days.

[henank]

5. It's not Western Jews who call themselves

Anglo Saxons. It's the Israelis who "contributed" that name for posterity. Or to be more accurate "Anglo-Saxim". Sounds vaguely rude :-)

We "Anglo-Saxim" think the name is ridiculously inaccurate at worst and highly amusing at best.

[shaayecanaan]

6. Nah

They call you much worse than that. You really must learn to speak Arabic, old chap.

[shaayecanaan]

7. BTW, what's with "the Israelis"? nt

[henank]

10. Sorry, I didn't make myself clear

I was referring to local-born Israelis, sabras, who call new (or veteran) English-speaking immigrants "Anglo Saxim".

[Sezu]

8. maybe shaayecanaan is channeling E. P. Ingersol. n/t

[shaayecanaan]

9. Maybe you need to expand your repertoire beyond accusations (veiled or not) of anti-semitism

or at least use shorthand expressions to save cluttering up the board. The British parliament uses expressions like "Number One" in place of very commonly asked questions - maybe you could just write "#1 (nt)" and save yourself the bother of actually writing a sentence.