As you know, we are entering a conservative and religious society when we travel to Israel. As a result, women have a very different role than they do in America. Traditional and parochial views dominate in regards to women, especially in the more conservative and Arab areas.
There will be two parts to this section: Their women, and Our women.
Part I: Their Women
In Israel, women are at once subordinate and respected. It is a strange combination that comes from the long religious and cultural history of the region. So there are a few things to keep in mind. Most of these apply to the more conservative side of things, and you never know what sort of host family you will get, so just be aware of these in case you need to refer to them. Also, all of these apply to you if you are female or male, but tenfold more if you are male. These also are primarily applicable to Arab area and culture. The Jewish side of things tends to be a little more Western and relaxed about women. This is not to say, however, that you should ignore this when in Jewish Israeli homes or in social situations with Jewish people.
1) It is expected that men will stand when a woman enters the room. This applies especially at dinner. Rule of thumb: If they stand, you stand.
2) Frequently, women will not eat in the same room as men, or be in the company of men in social situations, like at dinner or in a conversation with a host family. Don't be surprised if this happens in your host homes, and try not to ask questions about it.
3) It is generally not a good idea, just to be safe, to ask about the women in the family. If the women are missing (in the other room eating, etc.), try not to bring it up in conversation. If they bring it up, then feel free to discuss it, but when choosing topics of conversation, discuss other things and try not to ask about the women in the family.
4) If you see a woman in your host home after she has been missing please don't stare at her or touch her in any way, especially if you are a man. This is bad joo-joo, and could cause an incident. Try to avoid eye contact with women UNLESS you are formally meeting them or conversing with them. If conversing, keep your eye contact!
5) Any time you meet a woman, wait for her to offer her hand to you, and then shake her hand (RIGHT HAND). Don't ever touch a woman, especially if you are a man, if they do not offer their hand, etc. first.
Of course, these are not hard and fast rules. Know that the culture is very varied in Israel, and many people may be more western and liberal with gender roles while others may be much more traditional and conservative. Take things on a case-by-case basis and be respectful.
ARABIC LESSON OF THE DAY!
So, last time we learned how to say different types of food and drink.
Now, other various nouns.
Transportation:
Car - Sayaratun
Bike - Darajjatun
Now, in Arabic, they have a split plural. What this means is that there are different words for different numbers of an item. For example:
The word for ONE car: Sayaratun
The word for TWO cars: Sayarateni
The word for THREE OR MORE cars: Sayaraten
Another:
The word for ONE bike: Darajjatun
The word for TWO bikes: Darajjateni
The word for THREE OR MORE bikes: DarajjAtu (emphasis falls on the big A instead of the second syllable)
PETS:
Dog: Kelbun
Cat: Koetatun
Fish: Samakatun
Can anyone figure out how you would pluralize the word for "Dog"?
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...
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ONE: Kelbun
TWO: Kelbeni
THREE +: Kelben
If you were to say to an Arabic family with two dogs, "You have two dogs," you would say "Ledeiki kelbeni." The word for two is different from the split plural form of nouns, but when describing two of a certain item, you revert to the split plural. So, two cars would be: "Sayarateni."
