New school, new language, new country

JORDAN MOSHE

Yet Ophir came up trumps, bagging eight distinctions in matric.

Ophir recounts his experiences of arriving in the middle of the school year in 2012: “I arrived to start the third term, right after finishing Grade 6 in Israel. Because of the difference in the school year between Israel and South Africa, those in my age group were in the middle of their Grade 6 year. After speaking to the principal, my parents decided that it would be best that I jump half a year and start high school [Yeshiva College starts high school in Grade 7] with people who are older than me by a year or more.”

That only made things harder for Ophir. “At first, things were difficult and I wanted to return to what I knew best and where my family and friends were; to a place where I could speak the language properly.

“South African society is also very different, so it took time for me to adjust to things like not being as independent as I had been. I couldn’t take a bus whenever I wanted and had to rely on my parents to drive me around. I was spending time either at home or school and not really anywhere else. I was suddenly quite confined.”

Ophir speaks warmly about the kindness of the community and his classmates. “I remember coming to school for the first time, just a few days after arriving in South Africa. Pupils from all grades came up to me to greet me, and those in my class helped me with whatever I needed.”

However, he battled to communicate. “Despite all the help, the first few weeks of school were tough because of the language barrier. At the end of Grade 7, I did not write most of the exams,” he says.

“Still, those first few months of school gave me the best foundation I could have wanted in terms of the people I met, the friendships I made and the English I was starting to learn.”

As he progressed through high school, Ophir adapted to his new environment, finding his place among his classmates. “At the start of Grade 8, I already had a much better grasp of English and I understood the school system better. So, I felt like any other student, writing all the tests like everyone else. Of course, my English wasn’t perfect yet, and extra time in exams and tests helped a lot. The teachers and learners were always willing to help, and thanks to them, I was finally like an ordinary Grade 8 pupil.”

Ophir and his family had originally planned to return to Israel in 2016, as his father had been sent to South Africa for four years. So, Ophir was meant to leave in the middle of Grade 11. However, his father was asked to stay longer, and he ended up staying for matric.

By then, he says, everything became a lot more demanding and there was a lot more pressure on scholars to work hard and do well.

 “By that stage I felt like any other student, and despite not having the greatest vocabulary, which only affected me when I had to write English essays, I received many compliments that my English sounded perfect.

“I even found that in English exams I usually did quite well, thanks to the help of my English teacher.

“I worked hard during those last years and it paid off.”

With his eight distinctions, Ophir is returning to Israel with his family where he plans to go to a yeshiva for about a year before going into the army.

But leaving won’t be easy and there is a lot he will miss, especially his friends.