Elana Sztokman

I have a million of these stories, and I’ll bet anyone out there who is an English speaker working in Israel has stories too. The times when you feel like, the Israeli work culture is just missing some important, shall we say, nuances. At the risk of offending my Australian husband and all my non-American friends, I’d like to call it speaking “American”. Not American, really, but Western, I think — I would like to say, sort of civilized.

It’s the moments you want to tear your hair out, when you realize that there is a huge culture gap between Israel and the rest of the English speaking world.

Like when someone prints up a thousand brochures without noticing that the word “April” is not capitalized, and is in big letters on the front page.

Or when a meeting is scheduled without actually confirming with people that they are free at that time.

Or submitting a budget or program before the details have actually been researched.

And other things. Like when someone walks up to you when you’re in the middle of a conversation and just starts talking to you. And expects you to be listening.

Or worse, sticking a piece of paper in your face and asking if you can do this. When? Right now.

Or when you are asked to take on an assignment that is due in, like, ten minutes.

Or those meetings when people are just yelling at each other across the room, all talking at the same time.

Or when the director announces to everyone, “I’m going to make peepee.” Thank you very much. Didn’t need to know.

Stuff like that.

SOOOOO…… I’ve started collecting these stories. I’d like to know from all of you out there what it is like to be an Anglo working in an Israeli work culture. What are the challenges? What are the frustrations? What are the points of tension? What would you like to see Israeli businesses and offices do differently?

I’d like to know, if you feel like sharing.

Please spread this around.

Thanks,
Elana