Viva La Ra’anana!

September 4, 2006 - 3:42 PM by

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My son’s fourth-grade class has eight, count ‘em, eight new students this year, raising the class number from 26 to 34.

Where do they come from? Three are immigrants from France, three are from London, one is from the United States, and another is a “normal” new student from within Israel.

Granted, my town is a mecca for new immigrants from western countries, and my kids’ school is particularly attractive to this group (they study in a TALI track — enriched Jewish studies without being Orthodox) But still, wow.

This is a class that has kids who immigrated from or have one or two parents who immigrated from the U.S., France, England, Canada, Argentina, Venezuala, Peru, Columbia, and South Africa. We had an Australian in the class, but her family moved back to Melbourne after 13 years in Israel. And yes, we do indeed have all-Israeli families in the class, too.

What’s amazing to watch is how quickly kids learn language. There are kids who come in during September without a word of Hebrew. By December-January they are managing socially, but the end of the school year they are chattering with everybody else, and by the end of 2-3 years they are at the level of the class academically. The key, I think, is to move them before they hit double digits. At around ages 10 and 11, I think the adjustment becomes a lot harder, though I’ve seen fifth and sixth graders make the transition pretty well.

Moving a kid to a new language and culture in junior high or high school is just brutal, I think.

Anyway, the “French revolution” in my town is something to behold. It’s definitely improving the quality of life — we’ve got a great bistro, several great patisseries, a crepe place, and some cute new cafes. I haven’t heard of any who changed their plans to move over the summer, despite the war.

It’s interesting how the definition of “safe” is relative. My city, Ra’anana is famous for being the most English-speaking spot in the country, but hearing French on the street is becoming just as common. Many of these prosperous French families are moving to a “dangerous” Middle Eastern country, because for them, it’s become unsafe to be openly Jewish in Paris. They’d rather live here with the macro threats and be able to send their kids to a Jewish school or walk down the street with a kippa on their heads without fear.

Mind you, not all of the French Jews who are getting out are heading to Israel — like the South Africans and the Argentinians, there is the favorite alternative destination of…..can you guess?

Miami.

Tags: • Category: Israeliness, Life 

Comments

2 Comments on Viva La Ra’anana!

  1. David on Mon, Sep 4th 2006 7:53 PM

    2. As far as I know the most favored destination for South Africans is Australia. The lifestyle, the sports and the weather is great.

    Why would anyone go to Miami? It is becoming an outpost of South America and is VERY foreign. Besides which, the weather is horribly humid.

    Of course the most disgusting climate is found in New York City. One does not live there because of the climate thats for sure.

    I would say that having to learn Hebrew is what inhibits Western aliyah. Lets face it, people such as the French Jews that arrive are not exactly Zionists but are merely seeking a safer place to live as Jews. That is not Zionism. Choosing to live in Israel, a country founded by secular Jews, without any outside problems, is Zionism.

  2. Deborah on Fri, Apr 17th 2009 5:42 PM

    3. I am looking to rent a place this summer in Ra’anana if you know of someone leaving for summer let me know. I have 5 nice kids. Need kosher home with high speed internet.
    Deborah from Chicago

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