But teachers and professors of language education note that Israel's success in teaching Hebrew has as much to do with the ideology of the Jewish state and the immigrants themselves as it does with immersion and the national education system, factors that do not apply to California. And, educators say, the costs and possible shortcomings of immersing immigrants in Hebrew are suddenly becoming apparent. In its pursuit of Hebrew, they say, Israel has forfeited multilingualism. Many immigrants have erased their past and forgotten their mother tongue in order to become Israelis. They Are 'Coming Home ' From the beginning, Zionists have seen the rebirth of ancient Hebrew and massive Jewish immigration as crucial to the building of a strong, modern Israel.
Many Jewish immigrants regard Hebrew as the language of their ancestors rather than an alien tongue.
The Israeli government actively seeks new immigrants and offers them a package of incentives to enhance their lives in Israel, including intensive language training for children and their parents. Even the army is mobilized to help teach Hebrew to immigrants. We are trying to court our students. For a long time, we are the channel to bring students into the ways of Israeli society. But educators say it is not clear just how well immigrants have learned the Hebrew language.