To our community of learners at This Is Not An Ulpan,
As we look back on a year filled with unimaginable loss, devastation, war, and aggression, the pain feels inescapable. It touches every part of our lives, every corner of this land we call home. The violence has left no one untouched, and the silence surrounding it only adds to the heartbreak. Yet here we stand, in the darkest of times, at a crossroads—between giving in to despair or choosing to fight for a better future for all the people of this land. We don’t have the privilege of surrendering to hopelessness. At This is Not an Ulpan, our mission remains more urgent than ever: we teach Hebrew and Arabic because we believe deeply in the power of language to spark social change. And oh, how badly we need that change. Language is not just a tool for communication—it is an act of resistance, a way to reach across divides, and a bridge to a future where justice and peace are not just dreams but realities. Through our work, we are laying the foundations for that future, brick by brick, word by word.
Today, more than ever, the need for solidarity is urgent. Many in our community, especially activists, are struggling to access the education that could empower them in their efforts for justice. It is precisely in moments like these that we must persist in offering spaces for connection, learning, and imagining a future where language unites, rather than divides. By learning Hebrew and Arabic, we equip ourselves with the power to name injustices, build alliances, and envision a future where peace is not just a distant hope but a reality we create together. As the philosopher Ludwig Wittgenstein said, "The limits of my language mean the limits of my world." By expanding the languages we speak, we expand the world we share, planting seeds of hope and solidarity.
Our classrooms have become sanctuaries of hope, where struggles converge and the foundations of justice are laid. But to continue this vital work, we need your support. Many of our students— those passionately working for social change—are financially unable to afford the courses that are essential to their work. We are committed to offering scholarships, but the need is great, and we need your help to ensure that our spaces remain open and accessible.
We call on you now to stand with us: by purchasing a course, making a donation, or sharing our message with your communities. Every act of support, no matter the size, helps us continue this mission. As we look forward, we join in the urgent calls to end the war on Gaza, Lebanon and Yemen, to bring back the hostages, and to bring an end to the horrors of the past year. In the spirit of the Jewish saying, "תִּכְלֶה שָׁנָה וְקִלְלוֹתֶיהָ, תָּחֵל שָׁנָה וּבִרְכוֹתֶיהָ"—may this year and its curses come to an end, and may the next begin with blessings.
Together, we can stand firm in our belief that a better future is possible—a future where language unites, justice thrives, and hope is not a dream but a reality we build, step by step, word by word.
In solidarity, always,
Noa Friemann
CEO, This is Not an Ulpan
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