So, tell me: What brought you to Israel?
“Honestly? A mix of idealism, falafel, and crazy ambitions,” laughs Adam, 28, a graphic designer from Toronto. “I wanted a change. I wanted a place that felt alive, and Israel, with all its contradictions, its noise, its energy… it just called to me.”
Like many olim, Adam arrived wide-eyed and hopeful. He had some Hebrew under his belt from Jewish day school, but quickly discovered that ordering coffee was very different from understanding a Slack message from a Tel Aviv tech startup.
“At first, I thought, ‘Hey, I can read a menu, I’ll be fine!’ Then someone in my office dropped a slang-filled voice note and I was like… what even is this language?”
What was the hardest part about speaking Hebrew at work?
Adam doesn’t hesitate. “The fear of looking and sounding dumb.”
“You’re sitting in a meeting with native speakers throwing around business terms you’ve never heard. You think you understand the gist of it, but then someone asks your opinion and you.. freeze. Do I say something and risk sounding like a toddler with a LinkedIn profile, or do I just nod and hope no one notices?”
He chuckles, but there’s real vulnerability underneath. “Every time I spoke, I felt exposed.”
Did you ever feel like giving up?
“Absolutely. I had days where I honestly thought, ‘Maybe I’ll just find a remote job in English. Maybe this was a mistake.'”
But quitting wasn’t really an option. Adam came to Israel to integrate, not just exist in an English-speaking bubble.
“I didn’t want to just live here, I wanted to belong here. And language is a huge part of that.”
What changed for you?
“Two things. First, I gave myself permission to mess up. I stopped trying to sound perfect and started focusing on communicating. That mindset shift helped a lot.”
The second? “Ulpan La-Inyan. No joke, those courses changed the game for me.”
He first joined a group course after a friend recommended it. “It was chill, fun, and actually useful. We weren’t just learning how to ask for the bathroom, we were talking about work stuff, news, culture… real conversations.”
Later, he supplemented it with some private lessons focused on business vocabulary.
“That’s when things really clicked. I was learning how to think in Hebrew, not just translate from English.”
Do you remember a moment when you realized, “Hey, I’m getting this”?
Adam lights up. “Yes! My boss made this pun, like a Hebrew wordplay, and I actually got it. I laughed before anyone had to explain it.”
It may sound small, but to him, it was monumental. “It was the first time I felt like I wasn’t just surviving the language, I was enjoying it.”
There were other victories too. “I led a presentation in Hebrew. Sure, I had notes. And yes, I practiced 19 times. But I did it. And people understood me.”
What advice would you give someone in your shoes?
Adam thinks for a second. “Be patient. Be kind to yourself. Learn to laugh at your mistakes and celebrate the little wins.”
He adds, “And take a course that doesn’t bore you to tears. Seriously, Ulpan La-Inyan made Hebrew fun again. I looked forward to class, which sounds like a lie, but I swear it’s true.”
How do you feel now, looking back on your journey?
He pauses, then smiles. “Proud. Not because I’m fluent, I’m still learning every day. But because I stuck with it. I pushed through the discomfort. I chose growth over safety.”
And maybe most importantly, he says, “I feel like Israel isn’t just where I live, it’s where I am.”
Thinking of Improving Your Hebrew for Work? Here’s Why You Should:
- ???? Build real confidence in meetings and job interviews
- ???? Learn vocabulary tailored to your professional field
- ???? Stop translating in your head and start thinking in Hebrew
- ???? Choose from group classes or private lessons based on your schedule
- ???? Have fun while learning, yes, it’s possible!
- ???? Be part of a community that supports and encourages your progress
Find the course that’s right for you at Ulpan La-Inyan. Because your voice in Hebrew matters and it’s worth hearing.
