About

Leshonot (“languages” in Hebrew) was established in 2014 to support the efforts to improve the quality of service, by minimizing linguistic and cultural gaps for diverse communities.

In this website, those who share these goals – service providers, organizations for social change, researchers, language specialists and people who care – can find data and resource on the subject, which may help them in making the change.

Leshonot is the only website in Hebrew dedicated to issues of language accessibility, public-service interpreting and cultural competence. The website contains a database, useful tips and news on conferences and workshops. The website is open to all, and I’ll be happy to share materials and updates.

There is also a unique Facebook group by the same name, serving as an active venue for the exchange of information and opinions on cultural and linguistic issues in the public sphere.

About me

I have been promoting language accessibility and cultural competence in Israel for 15 years, through teaching, researching and lobbying. My PhD thesis offers a sociological model analyzing the development of language access to public services in Israel. My post-doctoral project examines the language accessibility of signage in health care settings. I teach at Bar Ilan University and at other academic institutes in Israel.

Together with Tene Briut organization for the promotion of health in the Ethiopian-Israeli community, I established Kol La’briut (Call for Health) – the first telephone medical interpreting service in Israel. Since 2007, I have provided trainings in medical interpreting and public service interpreting (also called “community interpreting”).

I am a member of the International Medical Interpreters Association (IMIA) and a board member of Critical Link International for the promotion of community interpreting worldwide. As part of the research and development committee in CLI, I promote the exchange of knowledge to encourage publications on community interpreting, joint researches and funding opportunities.

Since 2008, I’ve specialized in cultural competence, mainly in health organizations. I work with Israel’s hospitals, HMOs, and policy makers, and facilitate workshops for service providers and health professionals.

While working with hospitals, HMOs and other public organizations, I noticed the absence of materials and information that would help service providers to implement language services and cultural adaptations successfully. I received numerous requests for resources, statistics, policy papers and implementation programs that were not available in Hebrew.

In 2014 I established Leshonot as a tool to help policy makers and service providers to improve the services for the many cultural and linguistic communities living in Israel.

I’ll be happy to exchange knowledge and experience, so email me.

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