1987-1988 Rothberg Yearbook

Foreign Languages
A View from Lebanon Naji Majdalawi,
I came to Israel in order to study and try to live a life which is completely different from the life
that I lived in my homeland, Lebanon, and my home city, Beirut.
Everything was new for me. It was a little bit difficult to get used to all these interesting new
things but these difficulties passed after two or three weeks. One example of these things was to
study on Sunday in the Summer Ulpan. The Sunday class was so boring at the beginning, but
later on it became beseder. On Shabbat it is a little bit difficult in Israel: the market is closed, even
no buses. It was hard for me to get used to the new kind of bread. But the most difficult thing was
that I couldn’t get in contact with my parents, either by telephone or by direct mail.
Perhaps there were many difficulties, but what were the interesting things that I liked? I made
many friends from all the world and from different religions: Jews, Christians, and Muslims, and
it was very nice to study with them in peace. I heard so many languages as well. For me it was nice
to practice my Hebrew and improve my English and not to forget my Arabic.
I love the Hebrew University, the teachers and their methods of teaching. I love the new
language, which is the sister of my first language, Arabic. I forgot something called War, and I
forgot something called East Beirut and West Beirut. On the other hand, I learned something
called East Jerusalem and West Jerusalem.
Finally, I want to thank my advisor, Moshe Fass, Israel Roi’s office, and all the teachers because I
really loved them and I wish all the success to the Hebrew University and to Eretz Yisrael, and I
hope it will receive what it is missing here, and missing in my country, Lebanon: Shalom—Peace.