"עכשיו, כמו ישראלים אמתיים, בואו נקום ונשיר": הוראת השפה הלאומית למהגרים רוסים בישראל

This article explores the links between nationalism, national identity and the socialization of migrants through an ethnographic account of an encounter between an Israeli teacher of Hebrew and adult newcomers from the Former Soviet Union at a state-sponsored Hebrew language class (ulpan) in Israel. A close look at the axes around which learning was organized, namely the national calendar and topical issues, as well as the modes of instruction — experiential and verbal — reveals a particular conceptualization of learning that offers an entry to Israeli society. This "developmental" model of belonging, which is resisted by newcomers themselves, insists that the latter go through a quasi-Israeli childhood, as a prerequisite for enterin Israeli society as adults. In conclusion, the article compares the teaching of Hebrew to newcomers in Israel with language teaching to newcomers in other national contexts.