Page 57 - HaMizrachi Yom HaAtzmaut 5782 USA

When you first move to a new happens. 80% means that
country, all you have to do is you arrive at the doctor’s
try to speak the language and appointment at the right place
people fall all over themselves and time, but without the
to help you and tell you that necessary referral. It means
you could not be more adorable that instead of asking for a
with your reishes that don’t slice of pizza ( ׁש ָּ ל ֻ ׁש ְמ), you order
ְ
roll, and your use of ancient a sexy piece of pizza (ךי ִת ָח)
words that have not been and both your son and the
spoken since people named adolescent behind the counter
their children Jehosephat. So spontaneously combust. It
you work, and you try, and you means that every time your
make mistakes, and you laugh, phone rings with an unknown
and you cry, and you learn. number, you brace yourself
But a few years in, you hit a for the indignities that surely
wall, and you don’t improve await you on the other end.
as steadily as before, and even 80% is not enough to be
your husband and children confident at office parties.
think that you could at least It is not enough to convince
try to be a bit more adorable your coworkers that you are a
as they correct your texts and beast at English scattergories
roll their reishes and their eyes and that you have a sparkling
at your elementary mistakes.
personality. But as it turns out,
In Hebrew, in in-person it is enough to raise children
conversations I operate at who, upon hearing this story,
about 80%. I understand immediately point out that
approximately 4/5 of the ה ָנ ָב ְל is a Hebrew word for moon
conversation and I can often which starts with lamed. And
figure out the rest through 80% is most certainly enough
context and, in hardware to throw those smug children
store scenarios, elaborate into the lava and beat them
pantomime. (If any of my with their own socks.
coworkers are reading this,
you are misunderstanding me.
What I said was, I understand
everything that goes on all the
time, and you did not make a
galactic mistake by hiring me.)
80% is ok. You can get by with Kally Rubin Kislowicz made Aliyah
80%. But that remaining 20% from Cleveland, Ohio, to Efrat in
is where all the humiliation 2016.