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The Israeli Story
1948 - 2025

Here's a story.

An Israeli story. A true one. One that hasn't been told yet.

It has no beginning and no end, just short chapters presenting Israeli-ness as it is – without academic or literary analysis. Without embellishing or demeaning. Simply to give you an idea.

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So, what's here?

A curated selection of Israeli snapshots – those that were, and still are, with us. Each one presents itself, who or what it is. It also offers insights, at its own discretion, and sometimes even a tiny bit of history… just a little.

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What's included in this selection?

Expressions, concepts, figures, situations – all part of the fascinating mosaic that makes up what we call "The Israeli Story." This is an extraordinary documentation written by Israelis who have been here throughout the state's existence. They are divided into a wide variety of communities and sectors, religions and groups, they speak different languages, and lead different lifestyles. But what unites them all is the collective Israeli consciousness.

Those who haven't been here won't understand.

That's why we're here.

To tell the Israeli story and to reveal it as it has never been revealed before.

To distill the essence and what makes Israelis unique from all other peoples on the globe.

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Here are a few examples:

The chapters of this story are written every Independence Day – when we celebrate another birthday for the state that was established in 1948.

This is a good time to look in the mirror and peek into the archives, to see the Israel that was and still is, from its establishment to this very day, and to share with you what we see.

This story – it's multi-purpose and open to the general public.

It's meant for those who want to understand what's happening here today and for those who will want, one day, to understand what happened here at the beginning of the third millennium and a little before.

 

And it has other possible uses, for example:

An entrance exam for converts and anyone seeking Israeli citizenship;

Students of Hebrew or Judaism and researchers in academic institutions around the world;

A pop quiz for students in history and geography classes;

Preparation for trivia show auditions on the internet or television;

Grandpa's tedious ramblings to his grandchildren.

On second thought, there are even more potential users:

 

New immigrants who want to integrate quickly into Israeli society;

Undercover spies who need to know what's happening in Israel;

Israelis on relocation who haven't been here in a long time and miss home;

Tourists on a week-long trip who will only manage to visit Jerusalem and Tel Aviv;

Aliens from Mars who landed here and want to know who's against whom.

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Here is the complete list, by categories: 

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Hebrew language

The Hebrew language is the main language of all the country's citizens. It is their common denominator and what makes them Israeli.

Here is a short collection of words and phrases that only native Hebrew speakers—Israelis—can truly understand and use to describe the situations in which they are uttered. These are situations that every Israeli has encountered once or twice in their life, and they will share them wherever they are with other Israelis.

This part of The Israeli Story was uploaded in the Hebrew version of the website, but despite our best intentions, a way has yet to be found to mediate these phrases culturally for English speakers. God willing, this too will arrive soon.

* אתה רואה? אמרתי לך
"You see? I told you." The classic, triumphant Israeli "I told you so," often used to express complete vindication.

* בֶּגֶד כֶּפֶת
Beged Kefet (בֶּגֶד כֶּפֶת) — "The Mnemonic." An academic term: a mnemonic device used in elementary school to remember the common one-letter prepositional prefixes in Hebrew (Bet, Gimel, Dalet, Kaf, Pei, Tet).

* בחור טוב - בחורה טובה
Bakhur tov / Bakhura tova (בחור טוב - בחורה טובה) — "Good guy / Good girl." Often used ironically or sarcastically to imply someone is naive, simple, or too nice for their own good.

* גִיבֶרֶת
Giveret (גִיבֶרֶת) — "The Mispronounced Madam." An iconic term: the deliberate mispronunciation of the word Gveret (Madam/Lady), highlighting a quirky but pervasive feature of Israeli conversational Hebrew.

* הפוך על הפוך
Hafukh al Hafukh (הפוך על הפוך) — "Reverse on Reverse." Describes an extremely complex, convoluted, or ironic maneuver; a double-bluff or extreme subtlety.

* פֶּתֶק
Petek (פֶּתֶק) — "The Slip of Paper." The ubiquitous small note or slip used for everything from bureaucracy and voting to quick messages.

* יאללה ביי
Yalla Bye (יאללה ביי) — "Yalla Bye." The quintessential Israeli sign-off, blending the Arabic/Hebrew Yalla (Let's go) with the English Bye.

* יהיה בסדר
Yihyeh beseder (יהיה בסדר) — "It will be alright." The ultimate expression of Israeli resilient optimism and fatalism: "Don't worry, it'll work itself out."

* מה זה צריך להיות ?
Ma ze tzarikh lihyot? (מה זה צריך להיות ?) — "What is this supposed to be?" A rhetorical expression of utter frustration, annoyance, or exasperation with a difficult situation.

* פעם
Pa'am (פעם) — "Once." Used idiomatically to mean "in the past," "a long time ago," or "in a previous era."

* פּלוּס מִינוּס
Plus Minus (פּלוּס מִינוּס) — "Plus Minus." Used colloquially to mean "approximately," "more or less," or "give or take."

* שוּשוּ
Shushu (שוּשוּ) — "Shushu." Gossip, whispering, or a secret shared conversation.
Image by Liona Toussaint
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