Need to buy groceries in Israel - anybody have Hebrew advice?

If you have the letters I can help with pronunciation. For translations, I'm not so hot but I can read the stuff.

And .... welcome back!

I thought the Israelis like to paractice their English? Older Israelis might not speak much English? But the younger ones might?

Why not just cut out pictures from a magazine to show the store clerk?

I heard that Jewish Israelis speak Hebrew. I guess Aramaic was given up?

I don't have letters, don't even know where to start. Some books have certain words, but not the specific ones I need (they have "cheese" but not "cheddar") - which is also a problem with photos - cheddar cheese looks like cheese, sour cream looks like cream.

Basic English is understood, (again "cheese" is fine) but anything more specific than that is a bit lost and I'd like to be polite enough to try and explain myself in the local language. There are very, very, few Israeli Arabs where I am living and rarely see Aramaic beyond some highway signs and never hear it spoken locally. Also, the older Israelis have more patience to try and understand even if it takes painful charades, the younger ones that speak English dismiss the question immediately if they don't understand. I get the feeling they are afraid to appear foolish - their English is good and they don't appear foolish to me - but that's the feeling I get.

No help, Sugar, but glad to see you back, what happened to your charming avatar, and why on earth would anyone want to live in Israel?

The boy's job brought us here for a couple of years. Wouldn't have pick it myself

Cheddar
(Click on the link).

Gasp - a cheese cellar that I can visit and experience cheese nirvana! You are a price among men, Francis. I'm not the kind of girl who just throws compliments around carelessly.

I understand your excitement, I'm a cheese lover myself..

Aha! Now I see the problem !

Can't help - but can understand the problem! Good luck!

Well done Francis!

For verbal help, these sites might offer some useful tips:

This site has a long list of links for Hebrew langage aids including an electronic talking dictionary that translatesyour words into Hebrew via speech recognition.

http://www.omniglot.com/writing/hebrew.htm



This one appears to be a more casual online teaching site where you can learn the pronunciations.

http://www.dictionary.co.il/pronunciation_guide.php

It includes a page with specific categories of words,including

Food - Drinks


Food - Fish


Food - Fruit


Food - Nuts


Food - Spices


Food - Vegetables

http://www.dictionary.co.il/categories.php

I just wanted to pop in and say thanks again. I visited with a friend that weekend and she bought mountains of wonderful cheese for a party. They had a great selection of local and imported cheeses that we have had an impossible time locating. They were very helpful and even spent quite some time reviewing Israeli wines with us, another item with which I have no experience. I went back for a New Years Eve gathering. The find has made me very popular at the soirees.

I'm glad that I have been of some help.

Hope you are enjoying merrily you epicurean tastes, which I approve totally..