Learning a new language, especially Arabic, is not only a tool for communication with our neighbors and the speakers of the language in Israel and the world, but also opens a window to rich and diverse cultures. But not only: many studies indicate that learning a new language improves memory, concentration, and may even delay dementia in old age.
In the digital age, apps like Instagram and Tiktok are not just shallow video apps or “faceduck” photos: in between, you can learn quite a bit about new areas, such as language. In the last year, quite a few teachers have emerged who upload content for learning the Arabic language, one of the most successful of which is that of Ran Chai, a young man from the Jerusalem area, who uploads daily videos that teach the Arabic language in a clear way, for both beginners and advanced students.
Hai, 27 years old, a resident of the Jerusalem area, has spoken Arabic since childhood thanks to the grandparents who also spoke Arabic with the grandchildren. After combat military service, and while doing intensive reserve service, he continued to study for a bachelor’s degree in Orientalism and began giving private lessons in Arabic.
While at Fatah, he also had Tiktok and Instagram pages and began to gain popularity thanks to his daily videos, in which he teaches about the subtleties of the Arabic language. The uniqueness of his videos is the daily use of important sentences for simple interpersonal communication. “It is important to me that every Israeli not only understands what is happening around us, but also be able to communicate with Arab residents of the country,” he tells Maariv, “It starts at the pharmacy, when you hear Arabic-speaking pharmacists talking to each other and perhaps feel uncomfortable because you don’t understand, it continues in the cafeteria At the university alongside Arab students in the classroom, in the customer service centers, and also in the Arab doctor and nurse teams at the hospital.”
“Knowledge is power and this is especially true of language,” Chai adds, “My ambition is for every Israeli to know how to speak Arabic. Just as we expect Arab Israelis to know Hebrew ignorantly, it is important that we Jews also know how to speak our neighbor’s language. This is important not only for life Our commons, and not only for understanding the Middle East, but also for the very acceptance of the other and the mutual brotherhood that is necessary for all of us.”