Education System
Education systems in the two countries are more or less the same; there is the primary school, high school, and higher institution of learning. The only difference is the compulsory age of leaving school, which is 17 years for US and 18 years for Israel (Bergman 2013). State schools are funded in both nations. There are differences in the payment of teachers; more salary strikes have been witnessed in Israel as compared to the US. In the US, higher institutions of learning curricula are well matched to develop skills for the job market. However, Israel is yet to attain this level (Chang, 2009). Unlike the liberalized education system in the US, education in Israel consists of standard and religion-based learning institutions which are based on Jewish studies, Israeli traditions, and observance. Arab schools deliver studies in “Arabic and are focused on Arab history, religion and culture” (Bergman 2013, p. 34). There are also about five integrated schools in Israel that offer combined Jewish-Arab studies (Chamberlain 2005).
Lifestyle and Culture
The American culture is more of a high context and focuses on building friendship and trust. Communication is skewed to the non-verbal. The US people communicate politely with a calm voice and marked with kind gestures such as a smile and an invitation for a meal (Levinson & Brown 2007). Israelis, on the other hand, are from a low cultural context where it is often unclear what is expected in terms of culture and beliefs. Their communication is skewed to the verbal. Israelis are loudspeakers and may sound rude, especially when they are open about issues (Okun & Khait-Marelly 2006). In the US, the dress code is liberal while in Israel, women and men dress in a specific way; short-sleeved shirts and khaki pants or shorts are associated with the military while long dresses and scarf are the acceptable mode of dress for women (Volkman 2005).
Reference List
Bergman, M 2013, In the groove: Form and function in popular music, San Diego, SD: Cognella University Press.
Chamberlain, S 2005, Recognizing and responding to cultural differences in the education of culturally and linguistically diverse learners. California, Ca: Wadsworth/Cengage.
Chang, S 2009, When East and West Meet: An Essay on the Importance of Cultural Understanding in Global Practice and Education. Web.
Levinson, S, & Brown, P 2007, Politeness: some universals in language usage. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Okun, S, & Khait-Marelly, O 2006, Socioeconomic status and demographic behaviour of adult multiethnic: Jews in Israel. Web.
Volkman, T 2005, Cultures of Transnational Adoption, California, Ca: Duke University Press.