Meet Jihan Jayber, an Arab-Israeli Hebrew teacher, who broke the internet this week (at least in Israel), when footage of her novel and adorable teaching method surfaced.
She takes iconic Israeli kid’s song גשם גשם מטפטף (rain, rain drips) and sings it to her class with an Arabic flavor, while playing on her darbuka.
https://www.facebook.com/1237867719600465/videos/1237886082931962/
Leading to the inevitable slew of cover versions.
https://www.facebook.com/noyalooshe/videos/vb.740735158/10155114672415159/?type=2&theater
https://www.facebook.com/100001216671607/videos/vb.100001216671607/1422977787752763/?type=2&theater
https://www.facebook.com/liraz.aniti/videos/vb.100004399175073/851089015047730/?type=2&theater
https://www.facebook.com/nzy.sqwry/videos/vb.100000341881103/1382903178397732/?type=2&theater
https://www.facebook.com/dlyh.bwrwkwb/videos/vb.100002342739394/1242405059180907/?type=2&theater
Here she is interviewed by Israel’s Channel 2. It is in Hebrew but that does not matter. You can see how the interviewer thinks she is adorable, and really gets into her singing.
https://www.facebook.com/6With/videos/1354689054602358/
I love this story. I love Jihan’s approach and enthusiasm, but I also love how it shows an infusion of the Arab and Israeli cultures.
Needless to say, neither this nor the overwhelmingly positive Israeli Jewish responses to Jihan’s song are indicative of an “Apartheid” state, as the haters like to claim.
