Eager ivrit student

I (אני) can't begin describing how studying (לומדת) Hebrew (עברית) has saved my life (חיים) last autumn and this spring. Even though the language classes (שיעורים) sometimes are a source of temporary moments of intense frustration, looking back I am so happy and glad to see how I have progressed from zero knowledge to what (מה) I know (יודעת) now (עכשיו). The classes have also (גם) been a form of therapy for me amongst busy working life, taking my thoughts off from all the work things I should not be wasting my time thinking when outside the office.

Now I can in Hebrew tell a bit about myself, order simple stuff in a restaurant (מסעדה), ask and tell the time (מה השעה) and make simple questions and sentences. In Hebrew - the language that made no sense to me not so many months ago! I even installed a Hebrew keyboard to my cell phone (פלאפון) so I can sometimes surprise my boyfriend (חבר) by WhatsApping him in Hebrew.

When the course started, we were about 25 eager students (סטודנטים). Those with not enough time or motivation have dropped out and a bit over 10 (עשר) is left. This remaining group is so into the language that together we bought extra classes for the spring. And I already pre-enrolled for the next course starting in September.

There's still a long way to go before I could add Hebrew to my LinkedIn profile as a skill. Maybe (אולי) a four (ארבע) week summer holiday in a kibbutz (קיבוץ) in Israel (בישראל) would take me to that level?

I wonder, though, how well do the Jews in diaspora know Hebrew or is it just the sabras of Israel that know it well? Do e.g. Finnish Jews speak fluent Hebrew?