"Israelienne"

...everyone thinks I'm Israelienne. I'm sitting at a bus-stop in Nice, France, talking to my friend in French when an elderly woman turns to me and asks, in Hebrew, "At medaberet ivrit?" (You speak Hebrew?) No, I said, taken aback that from overhearing my French she thought I was Israeli. Next I was amazed at the story she proceeded to tell me about her life travels through North Africa, Israel and then France. "Be a strong woman" she told me as I got off the bus. She'd experienced a fair share of hardships because her mother always told her that good Jewish girls don't speak up. I assured her not to worry.

But this type of episode is far from rare. Just last night my French female friend introduced me to some new people - already after "Salut, bon soir" (hey, good evening) they had me... or had me wrong. "You're Israeli?" "Oh, but you were born there?" "Fine, but your parents are Israeli?" Second generation American, mes chéris. "You're joking." No!

I'm at a pizza shop in Marseille speaking with a fellow customer and after one sentence, "we can speak Hebrew, it's okay." Okay, monsieur. Why not.

At the student center in paris, "No, you're not American." "No, you're lying." "Do lots of Israelis speak French?" Buying challah for Shabbat - "you're coming from Israel?" In shul Friday night, "You're Israeli?" No! No! No!

The funniest part? In Israel they think I'm French.