Though about 80% of non-Jewish books and about 40% of Jewish books I read are in English and I take notes in English, it has become more and more difficult for me emotionally to continue speaking English here in Israel except for professional purposes even in private with those who immigrated from English-speaking countries, haven't taken the trouble of learning Hebrew, and continue speaking only English, especially in public places, including synagugues, and on Sabbaths and Jewish holidays.
Many of them "complain" that Hebrew is too difficult for them to learn. But I've never heard such a "complaint" from such a large group of speakers of any other language. I can't help feeling here their linguistic arrogance. Many of the speakers of all the other languages must at least take the trouble of learning Hebrew. Even if they haven't succeeded in learning enough Hebrew, none of them would dare to speak to everyone in their respective language in public in a country they immigrated to.
I've decided to stop speaking English with these people as I'm not in Israel to speak English. In my present life this problem is especially serious in the Chabad synagogue I switched to about half a year ago from a non-Chabad one where I davened for 16 years. I feel as if I were in an English-speaking ghetto. If they don't want to learn Hebrew and prefer speaking only English in public, even to those whose first language isn't English, I also have the right not to speak English. I'm not in Israel to be part of an English-speaking ghetto.
I've never been a fanatic of Hebrew. But recently I've started to feel a growing emotional opposition to their linguistic arrogance. I also sense a kind of linguistic colonialism as a larger context of this linguistic arrogance.
Like in other forms of colonialism, there are not only colonizers but also the colonized. Unfortunately, quite a few native speakers of Hebrew seem to have decided, whether consciousnly or unconsciously, to be colonized linguisticially. They immediately switch to English when they detect an English accent in their interlocutors. Where are their self-respect and respect for Hebrew?!
Again like other forms of colonialism, the worst kind of the colonized are those who try to imitate their "masters". I've met a number of native speakers of Hebrew who have decided to raise their children in English for their eventual "success" in their study and work.
I've suddently become very sensitive to this issue recently as English has come to remind me too much of one evil force I can't tolerate any more. My tolerance has reached a limit as my knowledge has significantly increased recently about this evil force and what it has been doing with such arrogance. Of course, I'm not trying to force all these people to learn Hebrew and start speaking it in public. If they don't want to, this is their problem. But I don't want to be part of their problem any more.
I'm well aware that I'll have to pay some price for this decision - facing the challenge of relating to all the Anglophone monolinguals with compassion instead of treating them with contempt even if they remain in their linguistic comfort zone. Fortunately, one doesn't need any language to convey and perceive compassion (and contempt).
I also find it less and less comfortable emotionally to continue writing this blog in English as I feel I'm contradicting my belief. I may eventually switch to Hebrew, Yiddish and Russian, which are the three language that are the closest to my heart. The excuse I tell myself for continuing to write this blog in English in the meanwhile is that it's not meant (exclusively) for other speakers of Hebrew in Israel.
I'd like to end this blog entry with a positive tone. I'm also hoping that this decision of mine will instigate some of the Anglophone monolinguals in our synagogue to start learning Hebrew and speaking it, especially if they see this is also for their own benefit. Their linguistic inertia must be too strong for them to take themselves out of their linguistic comfort zone with no external factor. As long as you remain stuck in your comfort zone, you'll never grow. To my joy, one bilingual member has promised to help me help them, and one monolingual member has already expressed his decision in (seemingly automatically translated) Hebrew to start learning Hebrew systematically.
PS: It's ironical that the only Hebrew expressions the above mentioned "lovers" of English seem to know are greetings for Sabbath and Jewish holidays but we use Yiddish expressions instead of Hebrew ones in Chabad and other haredi communities.