query: when did hebrew become the official language of israel

pos: Revival of the Hebrew language to use Hebrew as a lingua franca, the historical linguistic common denominator of all the Jewish groups. At the same time, a parallel development in Europe changed Hebrew from primarily a sacred liturgical language into a literary language which played a key role in the development of nationalist educational programs. Modern Hebrew was one of three official languages of Mandatory Palestine, and after the Israeli Declaration of Independence in 1948, one of two official languages of Israel, along with Modern Arabic. In July 2018, a made Hebrew the sole official language of the state of Israel, with Arabic having "special

pos: Hebrew language became an official language in British-ruled Palestine in 1921 (along with English and Arabic), and then in 1948 became an official language of the newly declared State of Israel. Hebrew is the most widely spoken language in Israel today. In the Modern Period, from the 19th century onward, the literary Hebrew tradition revived as the spoken language of modern Israel, called variously "Israeli Hebrew", "Modern Israeli Hebrew", "Modern Hebrew", "New Hebrew", "Israeli Standard Hebrew", "Standard Hebrew", and so on. Israeli Hebrew exhibits some features of Sephardic Hebrew from its local Jerusalemite tradition but adapts it with numerous neologisms, borrowed terms

pos: Israeli Jews to Israel, and due to the impetus of the Second Aliyah (1905–1914), Hebrew prevailed as the single official and spoken language of the Jewish community of mandatory Palestine. When the State of Israel was formed in 1948, the government viewed Hebrew as the "de facto" official language and initiated a melting pot policy, where every immigrant was required to study Hebrew and often to adopt a Hebrew surname. Use of Yiddish, which was the main competitor prior to World War II, was discouraged, and the number of Yiddish speakers declined as the older generations died out, though Yiddish is still

pos: Languages of Israel to the impetus of the Second Aliyah (1905–1914), Hebrew prevailed as the single official and spoken language of the Jewish community of Mandatory Palestine. When the State of Israel was formed in 1948, the government viewed Hebrew as the "de facto" official language and initiated a melting pot policy, where every immigrant was required to study Hebrew and often to adopt a Hebrew surname. Use of Yiddish, which was the main competitor prior to World War II, was discouraged, and the number of Yiddish speakers declined as the older generations died out. However, Yiddish is still often used in Ashkenazi

pos: Languages of Israel laws of the British Mandate, was adopted in the State of Israel, subject to certain amendments published by the provisional legislative branch on 19 May 1948. The amendment states that: The British Mandate articles, issued by the Council of the League of Nations in 1922, and the 1922 Palestine Order in Council were the first in modern times to acknowledge Hebrew as an official language of a political entity. This was a significant achievement for the Zionist movement, which sought to establish Hebrew as the national language of the Jewish people and discouraged the use of other Jewish languages, particularly

pos: Official language basic law, namely, it preserves the status quo and changes the status of Hebrew and Arabic only nominally. Before the enactment of the aforementioned basic law, the status of official language in Israel was determined by the 82nd paragraph of the "Palestine Order in Council" issued on 14 August 1922, for the British Mandate of Palestine, as amended in 1939: This law, like most other laws of the British Mandate, was adopted in the State of Israel, subject to certain amendments published by the provisional legislative branch on 19 May 1948. The amendment states that: In most public schools, the

pos: Hanoch Kalai 19, 1944, Kalai was exiled to a Kenyan detention camp along with 250 other detainees, and returned to Israel only on July 12, 1948. After Israel gained independence, Kalai became a language lecturer at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. He was also an editor and translator to Hebrew from English, German and Yiddish, an editor at the Bialik Institute, a member of the Academy of the Hebrew Language, and the Israel Broadcasting Authority plenum member responsible for Hebrew-language broadcasts. He translated Zorba the Greek into Hebrew, the first title in Am Oved's People's Library imprint. He also translated Virginia Woolf's

pos: Languages of Israel available throughout Israel. In 1999, the High Court of Justice ruled that English, Arabic and Hebrew were inherited as official languages by Israel, but that English had been removed by the Law and Administration Ordinance of 1948. The Ordinance said: In practice the use of English decreased dramatically during the state's early years. At first, French was used as a diplomatic language, even though most state officials and civil servants were more fluent in English. During the late 1960s, the Israeli-French alliance was undermined, giving way to a stronger Israeli-United States alliance and paving the way for the English language

pos: Alexander Peli become the State of Israel). He attended the University of Jerusalem graduating in History and Philosophy. He had been brought up with encyclopedias. His mother published the eight-volume "General Enclopedia". Peli's dream was to create a new encyclopedia in the language of Hebrew. In 1944 a committee was formed to work out the aims and objectives of a project to create an encyclopedia in Hebrew. In 1948 work was started, and Chaim Weizmann was the first president of the project. He was also to be the first president of the new state of Israel. Peli was appointed supervising editor and

pos: Israel-Nachrichten Israel-Nachrichten Israel-Nachrichten (meaning "Israel news") was a German language daily newspaper published in Tel Aviv. The paper was founded in October 1935 by Siegfried Blumenthal, a Jewish merchant from Berlin. By 1950 it was one of the best selling newspapers in Israel. Initially it was called "S. Blumenthal’s Private Correspondenz" (1935-1936), then "Blumenthal’s Neuste Nachrichten" (1937-1943), then "Neuste Nachrichten" (1943-1973). In Hebrew it was known as "Yediot Hadashot." The content was in German except for a period in 1948 when part of the content was in Hebrew. 1974 it was sold to a huge publishing company. From now on it

neg: Basic Law: Israel as the Nation-State of the Jewish People think Zionism is racism". According to the proposal, Israel would be defined as the nation state of the Jewish people, and the right to self-determination in Israel would be unique to the Jewish people. The proposal also stated that the state of Israel should establish ethnic communities where every resident can preserve their culture and heritage, that the Hebrew language would be considered the official language of the state of Israel (while granting the Arabic language a special status), that the Hebrew calendar would become the official calendar of the state of Israel, and that the Hebrew law would serve

neg: Languages of Israel making it an "official secondary language". That bill did not pass. In 2009, Israel Katz, the transport minister, suggested that signs on all major roads in Israel, East Jerusalem and possibly parts of the West Bank would be amended, replacing English and Arabic place names with straight transliterations of the Hebrew name. Currently most road signs are in all three languages. Nazareth, for example, would become "Natzeret". The Transport Ministry said signs would be replaced gradually as necessary due to wear and tear. This has been criticized as an attempt to erase the Arabic language and Palestinian heritage in Israel.

neg: Languages of Israel the Hebrew language and offering standardized rules for the use of the language by the state. A survey by the Central Bureau of Statistics released in 2013 found that 90% of Israeli Jews were proficient in Hebrew and 70% were highly proficient. It also found that 60% of Israeli Arabs were proficient or highly proficient in Hebrew, while 17% could not read it and 12% could not speak it. Literary Arabic, along with Hebrew, has special status under Israeli law, and was the country's second official language until 2018, when Hebrew was declared the sole official language. Various spoken dialects

neg: Arabic language in Israel Druze. Many first-generation Mizrahi Jews in Israel can still speak Judeo-Arabic languages, while their Israeli-born descendants have overwhelmingly adopted Hebrew as their first (or sole) language. Standard Arabic was co-official with Hebrew until 2018. Its status is currently that of an auxiliary language. According to , which was adopted on 19 July 2018, Arabic language is not an official languages in the State of Israel but has a special status and is used in official documents by law. Before the adoption on 19 July 2018 of the , the Arabic language was one of the two official languages in the

neg: Hebrew language worldwide. After Israel, the United States has the second largest Hebrew-speaking population, with 220,000 fluent speakers, mostly from Israel. Modern Hebrew is the official language of the State of Israel, while premodern Hebrew is used for prayer or study in Jewish communities around the world today. The Samaritan dialect is also the liturgical tongue of the Samaritans, while modern Hebrew or Arabic is their vernacular. As a foreign language, it is studied mostly by Jews and students of Judaism and Israel, and by archaeologists and linguists specializing in the Middle East and its civilizations, as well as by theologians in

neg: Biblical Hebrew Hebrew continued to be used as a literary and liturgical language in the form of Medieval Hebrew, and Hebrew began a revival process in the 19th century, culminating in Modern Hebrew becoming the official language of Israel. Currently, Classical Hebrew is generally taught in public schools in Israel, and Biblical Hebrew forms are sometimes used in Modern Hebrew literature, much as archaic and biblical constructions are used in Modern English literature. Since Modern Hebrew contains many biblical elements, Biblical Hebrew is fairly intelligible to Modern Hebrew speakers. The primary source of Biblical Hebrew material is the Hebrew Bible. epigraphic materials

neg: Languages of Israel Haredi communities worldwide, and is sometimes the first language for the members of the Hasidic branches of such communities. Today, Hebrew is the official language used in government, commerce, court sessions, schools, and universities. It is the language most commonly used in everyday life in Israel. Native Hebrew speakers comprise about 53% of the population. The vast majority of the rest speak Hebrew fluently as a second language. Native-born Israeli Jews are typically native speakers of Hebrew, but a significant minority of Israelis are immigrants who learned Hebrew as a second language. Immigrants who come under the Law of Return

neg: Hebrew language Yiddish as their native language and often introduced calques from Yiddish and phono-semantic matchings of international words. Despite using Sephardic Hebrew pronunciation as its primary basis, modern Israeli Hebrew has adapted to Ashkenazi Hebrew phonology in some respects, mainly the following: The vocabulary of Israeli Hebrew is much larger than that of earlier periods. According to Ghil'ad Zuckermann: In Israel, Modern Hebrew is currently taught in institutions called Ulpanim (singular: Ulpan). There are government-owned, as well as private, Ulpanim offering online courses and face-to-face programs. Modern Hebrew is the primary official language of the State of Israel. , there are

neg: Arabic language in Israel State of Israel, along with Modern Hebrew and is used in official documents by law. Modern Standard Arabic (also known as Standard Arabic or Literary Arabic), along with Modern Hebrew, is the second official language in Israel. Spoken Arabic dialects are spoken primarily by Arab citizens of Israel and Israeli Druze, as well as by some Mizrahi Jews (Yemenite Jews, Egyptian Jews, Syrian Jews, Iraqi Jews, Sephardic Jews (Moroccan Jews, Tunisian Jews, Libyan Jews, Algerian Jews, and French Jews), particularly those of the older generation who immigrated from Arabic-speaking countries. In 1949, 156,000 Palestinian Arabs were left inside Israel’s armistice

neg: Israeli Jews citizens and among the Israeli Jews is Modern Hebrew, a language that emerged in the late 19th century, based on different dialects of ancient Hebrew and influenced by Yiddish, Arabic, Slavic languages, and German. Hebrew and Arabic are currently official languages of Israel. Government ministries publish all material intended for the public in Hebrew, with selected material translated into Arabic, English, Russian, and other languages spoken in Israel. The country's laws are published in Hebrew, and eventually English and Arabic translations are published. Publishing the law in Hebrew in the official gazette ("Reshumot") is enough to make it valid. Unavailability

neg: Israel In all, there are 77 Israeli localities granted "municipalities" (or "city") status by the Ministry of the Interior, four of which are in the West Bank. Two more cities are planned: Kasif, a planned city to be built in the Negev, and Harish, originally a small town that is being built into a large city since 2015. Israel has one official language, Hebrew. Arabic previously had been considered an official language of the State of Israel; in 2018 as having a 'special status in the state' with its use by state institutions to be set in law. Hebrew is the

neg: Revival of the Hebrew language in all homes and private settings yet, Hebrew had secured its place as the exclusive language of assemblies, conferences, and discussions. Educated Second Aliyah members already were familiar with the literary Hebrew that had developed in Europe, and they identified with the notion that Hebrew could serve as an impetus for the national existence for the Jewish people in Israel. This group was joined by the aforementioned graduates of Hebrew schools, who had already begun to raise native-born speakers of Hebrew in their families. During this period, the World Zionist Congress also adopted Hebrew as its official language. Hebrew education

neg: Languages of Israel Languages of Israel The Israeli population is a linguistically and culturally diverse community. The 19th edition of Ethnologue lists 35 languages and dialects spoken in local communities. Hebrew is the country's official language, and almost the entire population speaks it either as native speakers or proficiently as a second language. Its standard form, known as Modern Hebrew, is the main medium of life in Israel. Arabic, used mainly by Israel's Arab minority, which comprises about one-fifth of the population, has a special status under Israeli law. English, spoken as a second language by the majority of the Israeli population, is

neg: Arabic language in Israel line, most of whom did not speak Hebrew. Today the majority of Arab Israelis, who constitute over a fifth of the Israeli population, speak Hebrew fluently, as a second language. For many years the Israeli authorities were reluctant to use Arabic, except when explicitly ordered by law (for example, in warnings on dangerous chemicals), or when addressing the Arabic-speaking population. This has changed following a November 2000 supreme court ruling which ruled that although second to Hebrew, the use of Arabic should be much more extensive. Since then, all road signs, food labels, and messages published or posted by the

neg: Arab citizens of Israel the country. Arabic was until July 2018 one of Israel's official languages. The use of Arabic increased significantly following Supreme Court rulings in the 1990s. defines Hebrew as the official language of the State and gives the Arabic language a special status. Government ministries publish all material intended for the public in Hebrew, with selected material translated into Arabic, English, Russian, and other languages spoken in Israel. There are laws that secure the Arab population's right to receive information in Arabic. Some examples include a portion of the public television channels' productions must be in Arabic or translated into Arabic,

neg: Basic Law: Israel as the Nation-State of the Jewish People by the British in 1922 - back then the official languages were English, Arabic and Hebrew, in that order. "Court rulings deal constantly with the permanent status of the language: the Hebrew language is defined as a language with a higher status than the Arabic language, and as the state's official language. Arabic on the other hand suffers from constant blurring of its status and lack of clarity about its accessibility to the native speakers of the language. According to the bill proposal the Arabic language would receive a special status which would require the state to enable accessibility to

neg: Languages of Israel news in Arabic existed on Arutz 1, news programmes appeared in Russian, Amharic and Tigrinya. Several newspapers and magazines were published in Russian and easy Hebrew with Niqqud. In the beginning of the twenty-first century, the first Russian-language TV channel was created. After Hebrew and Arabic, many other languages are used by large sectors of the Israeli population such as English, Russian, French and many others, including: Languages of Israel The Israeli population is a linguistically and culturally diverse community. The 19th edition of Ethnologue lists 35 languages and dialects spoken in local communities. Hebrew is the country's official language,

neg: Culture of Israel conceal their Jewish Masoret and their diaspora heritage and culture, which they brought from their diaspora countries, and to adopt the new secular "Sabra" culture. Today the cultural diversity is being celebrated; many speak several languages, continue to eat food from their cultural origins, and have mixed outlooks. While Hebrew and Arabic are the official languages of the State of Israel, over 83 languages are spoken in the country. As new immigrants arrived, Hebrew language instruction was important. Eliezer Ben-Yehuda, who founded the Hebrew Language Committee, coined thousands of new words and concepts based on Biblical, Talmudic and other sources,

neg: Romanization of Hebrew did not catch on. Political activist Ze'ev Jabotinsky, leader of Betar, and Chief Rabbi Kook, also expressed their support for the reform of Hebrew script using Latin letters. Romanized Hebrew can be used to present Hebrew terminology or text to anyone who is not familiar with the Hebrew script. Many Jewish prayer books include supplementary romanization for some or all of the Hebrew-language congregational prayers. Romanized Hebrew is also used for Hebrew-language items in library catalogs and Hebrew-language place names on maps. In Israel, most catalogs and maps use the Hebrew script, but romanized maps are easily available and road

neg: Languages of Israel legitimate language for use in the Knesset alongside Hebrew, but only rarely have Arabic-speaking Knesset members made use of this privilege as while all Arabic-speaking MKs are fluent in Hebrew, fewer Hebrew-speaking MKs can understand Arabic. In March 2007, the Knesset approved a new law calling for the establishment of an Arabic Language Academy similar to the Academy of the Hebrew Language. This institute was established in 2008, its centre is in Haifa and it is currently headed by Prof. Mahmud Ghanayem. In 2008, a group of Knesset members proposed a bill to remove Arabic's status as an official language,

neg: National language languages, making it the second most linguistically diverse country after Papua New Guinea. These 700+ languages, however, are without official status, and some are in danger of extinction. The largest local language is Javanese. Persian (or Farsi) is recognised as the national language of Iran. Irish is recognised by the Constitution of Ireland as the national language and first official language of Ireland, and the English language is recognised as a second official language. Hebrew became the only official and national language of Israel with the adoption of the Nation-State Bill in 2018. Arabic, formerly also an official language, became

neg: Jews few speaking only Hebrew on the Sabbath. Hebrew was revived as a spoken language by Eliezer ben Yehuda, who arrived in Palestine in 1881. It had not been used as a mother tongue since Tannaic times. Modern Hebrew is now one of the two official languages of the State of Israel along with Modern Standard Arabic. Despite efforts to revive Hebrew as the national language of the Jewish people, knowledge of the language is not commonly possessed by Jews worldwide and English has emerged as the lingua franca of the Jewish diaspora. Although many Jews once had sufficient knowledge of

neg: Hebrew language words into Hebrew vocabulary. The Haifa municipality has banned officials from using English words in official documents, and is fighting to stop businesses from using only English signs to market their services. In 2012, a Knesset bill for the preservation of the Hebrew language was proposed, which includes the stipulation that all signage in Israel must first and foremost be in Hebrew, as with all speeches by Israeli officials abroad. The bill's author, MK Akram Hasson, stated that the bill was proposed as a response to Hebrew "losing its prestige", and children incorporating more English words into their vocabulary. Hebrew

neg: Modern Hebrew of Israel. Modern Hebrew is spoken by about nine million people, counting native, fluent, and non-fluent speakers. Most speakers are citizens of Israel: about five million are Israelis who speak Modern Hebrew as their native language, 1.5 million are immigrants to Israel, 1.5 million are Arab citizens of Israel, whose first language is usually Arabic, and half a million are expatriate Israelis or diaspora Jews living outside Israel. The organization that officially directs the development of the Modern Hebrew language, under the law of the State of Israel, is the Academy of the Hebrew Language. The most common scholarly term

neg: Elections in Israel seals it, and then places the envelope into the ballot box. Parties use the equivalent letters in both official languages, Arabic and Hebrew; for instance Kadima use כן (Kaph-Nun) in Hebrew and (also Kaph-Nun) in Arabic. Because the Arabic alphabet shares a common source with the Hebrew (the Aramaic alphabet), each Hebrew letter has a perfectly corresponding Arabic one, facilitating this system. The system has the advantage of being simple to use for those with limited literacy. This is especially important in Israel where many new immigrants struggle with the language, especially reading and writing, as Hebrew uses a unique

neg: American Jews stores and restaurants found on and around the street that have Bukharian influences. Many Bukharians are also represented in parts of Arizona, Miami, Florida, and areas of Southern California such as San Diego. Classical Hebrew is the language of most Jewish religious literature, such as the Tanakh (Bible) and Siddur (prayerbook). Modern Hebrew is also the primary official language of the modern State of Israel, which further encourages many to learn it as a second language. Some recent Israeli immigrants to America speak Hebrew as their primary language. There are a diversity of Hispanic Jews living in America. The oldest

neg: Languages of Israel 2%, 1.6% Spanish, and 10% other languages (including Romanian, German and Amharic, which were not offered as answers by the survey). This study also noted that 90% of Jews and over 60% of Arabs have a good understanding of Hebrew. Several laws determine the official status of languages and language policy in Israel. This confusing situation has led to several appeals to the Supreme Court, whose rulings have enforced the current policies of national and local authorities. On 19 July 2018, the Knesset passed a basic law under the title , which defines Hebrew as "the State's language" and Arabic

neg: Levant regional or urban/rural variations. In addition to the varieties normally grouped together as "Levantine", a number of other varieties and dialects of Arabic are spoken in the Levant area, such as Levantine Bedawi Arabic and Mesopotamian Arabic. Among the languages of Israel, the official language is Hebrew; Arabic was until July 19, 2018, also an official language. The Arab minority, in 2018 about 21% of the population of Israel, speaks a dialect of Levantine Arabic essentially indistinguishable from the forms spoken in the Palestinian territories. Of the languages of Cyprus, the majority language is Greek, followed by Turkish (in the

neg: Revival of the Hebrew language Revival of the Hebrew language The revival of the Hebrew language took place in Europe and Israel toward the end of the 19th century and into the 20th century, through which the language's usage changed from the sacred language of Judaism to a spoken and written language used for daily life in Israel. The process began as a diversity of Jews started arriving and establishing themselves alongside the pre-existing Jewish community of Palestine in the first half of the nineteenth century, when veteran Jews in Palestine (largely Arabic-speaking by that time) and the linguistically diverse newly arrived Jews all switched

neg: Revival of the Hebrew language Declaration of 1917 and the Second Aliyah. As a greater number of children passed through Hebrew language schools, the number of people who spoke Hebrew as their first language grew. As the number of people whose primary language was Hebrew increased, so did demand for Hebrew reading materials and entertainment such as books, newspapers, and plays. By 1916-1918, about 34,000 Jews in Palestine recorded Hebrew as their native language. After World War I, it was legislated by the Mandate over Palestine that English, Hebrew, and Arabic would be the official spoken language of Palestine. As the Jewish community in Palestine,

neg: Arabic language in Israel Katz, the transport minister, announced that signs on all major roads in Israel, East Jerusalem and possibly parts of the West Bank would be amended, replacing English and Arabic place names with straight transliterations of the Hebrew name. Currently most road signs are in all three languages. Nazareth, for example, would become "Natzrat". The Transport Ministry said signs would be replaced gradually as necessary due to wear and tear. This has been criticized as an attempt by the Israeli government to erase the Arabic language and Palestinian heritage in Israel. Arabic language in Israel The Arabic language in Israel is

neg: Languages of Israel used widely in official logos, road signs and product labels. Russian, spoken by the large immigrant population from the former Soviet Union, is also heavily used. Modern Hebrew emerged as a result of the revival of the Hebrew language that began the late 19th century, and is based on different dialects of ancient Hebrew and somewhat influenced by many languages (English, Jewish languages, Slavic languages, Arabic, Aramaic, German and others). According to a 2011 Government Social Survey of Israelis over 20 years of age, 49% report Hebrew as their native language, Arabic 18%, Russian 15%, Yiddish 2%, French 2%, English

neg: History of the Technion – Israel Institute of Technology – and the Zionist movement, escalated into an intense conflict over the planned language of instruction, known as the War of the Languages. Modern Hebrew was still in its infancy, and technical education was non-existent in the biblical tongue. A strong case was put forward for the Technikum to be run in German. A compromise of English was offered. Only the outcome of World War I and the diminished German influence in Palestine would finally resolve that Hebrew would be the official language of the Technion, and later the State of Israel. The development of technical and scientific opportunities for

neg: Second Aliyah influence on Jewish immigration to the Land of Israel during that period. As the Zionist movement gained strength through the 20th century, more Jews immigrated to the Land of Israel as a result. However, during the Second Aliyah period, 1904-1914, Zionism did not play an big role in influencing Jewish immigration. The Second Aliyah is largely credited with the revival of the Hebrew language and establishing it as the standard language for Jews in Israel. Eliezer Ben-Yehuda contributed to the creation of the first modern Hebrew dictionary. Although he was an immigrant of the First Aliyah, his work mostly bore

neg: Israel Stuttering Association Israel Stuttering Association AMBI, Israel Stuttering Association, a charity since 1999, is a public non-profit organization that supports people who stutter and their families in Israel. The name, AMBI, is an acronym made up from the initial letters of the Association's official Hebrew name. The Association seeks to enhance public knowledge about stuttering, runs self-help groups and promotes affordable treatment for people who stutter. It also organizes conferences and meetings for people who stutter, speech language therapists and anyone interested in stuttering. The Association is chaired by Benny Ravid. It publishes a journal: "OutLoud" (Hebrew title: "Bekol Ram"). In 2012,

neg: Russian language in Israel Hebrew is the only official language of the State of Israel and Arabic has special status. Russian and a number of other immigrant languages are widely used in Israel, because ethnic Jews from dozens of countries from all around the world have settled in the area. Russian is the major immigrant language of Jews living in Israel. Since 1967, millions of Russian Jews have settled in the country, and a great influx of Jews from the post-Soviet states took place in the 1990s. Today, Russian is used in cultural events, the educational system and other public domains. By 1999, about

neg: Temple Israel (Memphis, Tennessee) St. Louis to become a rabbi, as a means of achieving social justice. Because of financial constraints brought on by the Depression, Wax had to finish his undergraduate schooling at Southeast Missouri State Teachers College, where he graduated with a B.A. in 1935. Mentored by Isserman, he then applied to HUC. Because he had little background in Hebrew, he did intensive work in the language prior to and during his admission, and was eventually ordained and achieved a Master of Hebrew Letters degree there in 1941. Turned down as a U.S. military chaplain, from 1941 to 1945 he served at

neg: Languages of Israel Israel's governmental names' committee unanimously rejected that suggestion in 2011. Russian is by far the most widely spoken non-official language in Israel. Over 20% of Israelis are fluent in Russian after mass Jewish immigration from the USSR (Russian Jews in Israel) and its successor states in the 1970s, 1990s, and 2000s. The government and businesses often provide both written and verbal information in Russian. There is also an Israeli television broadcast channel in Russian. In addition, some Israeli schools also offer Russian language courses. The children of Russian immigrants to Israel generally pick up Hebrew as their dominant language, but

neg: Israeli Jews commonly used in Ashkenazi haredi communities. Modern Hebrew is also the primary official language of the modern State of Israel and almost all Israeli Jews are native Hebrew-speakers and speak Hebrew as their primary language. A variety of other languages are still spoken within some Israeli Jewish communities, communities that are representative of the various Jewish ethnic divisions from around the world that have come together to make up Israel's Jewish population. Even though the majority of Israeli Jews are native Hebrew speakers, many Jewish immigrants still continue to speak their former languages—many immigrants from the Soviet Union continue to

neg: Arab citizens of Israel Following appeals to the Israeli Supreme Court, the use of Arabic on street signs and labels increased dramatically. In response to one of the appeals presented by Arab Israeli organizations, the Supreme Court ruled that although second to Hebrew, Arabic is an official language of the State of Israel, and should be used extensively. Today most highway signage is trilingual (Hebrew, Arabic, and English). Many Arab villages lack street signs of any kind and the Hebrew name is often used. The state's schools in Arab communities teach in Arabic according to a specially adapted curriculum. This curriculum includes mandatory lessons

neg: Israeli Jews of an Arabic translation can be regarded as a legal defense only if the defendant proves he could not understand the meaning of the law in any conceivable way. Following appeals to the Israeli Supreme Court, the use of Arabic on street signs and labels increased dramatically. In response to one of the appeals presented by Arab Israeli organizations, the Supreme Court ruled that although second to Hebrew, Arabic is an official language of the State of Israel, and should be used extensively. Today most highway signage is trilingual (Hebrew, Arabic, and English). Hebrew is the standard language of communication

neg: Language and the euro currency's name in Hebrew arose. The official name of the currency established by the Academy of the Hebrew Language and the Bank of Israel is derived from An unofficial spelling and pronunciation , derived from the English pronunciation of the currency's name, is also used. Although in Hebrew currency names are usually declined for singular and plural, both forms of the Euro name are used for the singular and plural alike. In Hindi, the euro is spelt as यूरो (Yūro), while cent is written as सेंट (seṇṭ). Both the words are not pluralised. Europe is known as यूरोप (Yūrop) in

neg: Israelis of Return. Israel's two official languages are Hebrew and Arabic. Hebrew is the primary language of government and is spoken by the majority of the population. Arabic is spoken by the Arab minority and by some members of the Mizrahi Jewish community. English is studied in school and is spoken by the majority of the population as a second language. Other languages spoken in Israel include Russian, Yiddish, Spanish, Ladino, Amharic, Armenian, Romanian, and French. In recent decades, between 650,000 and 1,300,000 Israelis have emigrated, a phenomenon known in Hebrew as "yerida" ("descent", in contrast to "aliyah", which means "ascent").

neg: Language planning English, Malay, Tamil, and Mandarin Chinese in Singapore. The coexistence of many languages may not necessarily arise from a conscious language ideology, but rather related to the relative efficiency in communication of a common language. The third ideology, vernacularization, denotes the restoration and development of an indigenous language, along with its adoption by the state as an official language. Examples include Hebrew in the state of Israel and Quechua in Peru. The final ideology, internationalization, is the adoption of a non-indigenous language as a means of wider communication, as an official language or in a particular domain, such as the

neg: Yona Bogale not proficient in Hebrew, access to books in their native tongue, as well as the means to learn the language of their religion. Fluent in Hebrew, Yiddish, English, French, Italian, German, Tigrinya as well as Amharic., he introduced the Beta Israel community to the first Hebrew-English-Amharic calendar, published every year from 1954 to 1978. Bogale was an early proponent of Ethiopian Jews praying in Hebrew instead of the ancient Semitic language, Ge'ez, as he felt that it was no longer appropriate for those seeking to be a part of the broader Jewish community. However, he did think that Hebrew prayers

neg: Canaanism Israel ought to be, they argued, a Hebrew state, not a solution to the Jewish Question. Following the first Aliyot, a generation arose in Palestine that spoke Hebrew as a native language and did not always identify with Judaism. Designating the Israeli People as a "Jewish People", the Canaanites argued, was misleading. If it was possible to be a Jew anywhere, then the State of Israel was merely an anecdote in the history of Judaism. A nation must be rooted in a territory and a language—things which Judaism, in its very nature, could not provide. The movement promoted the idea

neg: Revival of the Hebrew language taught Hebrew. While immigrant children were expected to learn Hebrew through school, much effort was put into ensuring adults would learn the language. The institution of the ulpan, or intensive Hebrew-language school, was established to teach immigrants basic Hebrew language skills, and an ulpan course became a major feature of the experience of immigrating to Israel. Young adult immigrants picked up much of their Hebrew through mandatory military service in the Israel Defense Forces, which aimed to teach soldiers Hebrew so they could function in the military and post-military civilian life. During the 1950s, Hebrew was taught in most military

neg: Hebrew language "reactionary" since it was associated with Zionism, and the teaching of Hebrew at primary and secondary schools was officially banned by the People's Commissariat for Education as early as 1919, as part of an overall agenda aiming to secularize education (the language itself did not cease to be studied at universities for historical and linguistic purposes). The official ordinance stated that Yiddish, being the spoken language of the Russian Jews, should be treated as their only national language, while Hebrew was to be treated as a foreign language. Hebrew books and periodicals ceased to be published and were seized from

neg: Yitzchak Ginsburgh return to Israel was delayed when the Second World War broke out and he remained in the USA, where he married Ginsburgh's mother. His father held a PhD in education and served as principal of a number of Jewish schools. The family later moved to Cleveland, Ohio, where Ginsburgh grew up until the age of 14, when his parents spent a year in Israel while his father wrote his doctorate on teaching the Hebrew language. During their year in Israel, the young Ginsburgh studied at the Hebrew Gymnasium in Rechavia, where he learned Hebrew and began his path to Torah

neg: Arab citizens of Israel of Hebrew as foreign language from the 3rd grade onwards. Arabic is taught in Hebrew-speaking schools, but only the basic level is mandatory. In the summer of 2008, there was an unsuccessful attempt of right-wing lawmakers to strip Arabic of its status alongside Hebrew as an official language of the state. Some Arab politicians have requested a reevaluation of the Israeli flag and national anthem, arguing that the Star of David at the flag's center is an exclusively Jewish symbol, and Hatikvah does not represent Arab citizens, since it speaks of the Jewish people's desire to return to their homeland.

neg: Languages of Israel are used. Arabic is the native language among Israeli-Arabs. In 1949, 156,000 Palestinian Arabs were left inside Israel’s armistice line, most of whom did not speak Hebrew. Today, the figure stands at about 1.6 million, and although most are proficient in Hebrew, Arabic remains their primary native language. In addition, a significant number of Israeli Jews know spoken Arabic, although only a very small number are fully literate in written Arabic. Arabic is the native language of older generations of Mizrahi Jews who immigrated from Arabic-speaking countries. Arabic lessons are widespread in Hebrew-speaking schools from the seventh through ninth grades.

neg: Israel and religion largely as it existed during the British Mandate. On 19 July 2018, the Israeli Parliament passed a Basic Law that characterizes the State of Israel as principally a "Nation State of the Jewish People," and Hebrew as its official language. The bill ascribes "special status" to the Arabic language. The same bill gives Jews a unique right to national self-determination, and views the developing of Jewish settlement in the country as "a national interest," empowering the government to "take steps to encourage, advance and implement this interest." Israel has a three-tier court system. At the lowest level are

neg: Sha'ar LaMathil selected articles, which are recorded in clear Hebrew to help learners of the language. Sha'ar LaMathil Sha’ar LaMatchil (in Hebrew שער למתחיל, "Gateway for the Beginner"), was a weekly Israeli newspaper written in easy Hebrew. Publication has ceased as of April 2012 and it remains unclear if and when the paper will return. The weekly was founded in 1956 by the "Department for Language Endowment" of the Israeli Ministry of Education. The newspaper is intended for olim and other newcomers to Israel who are learning the Hebrew Language, and is also designed for those who are studying Hebrew at an

neg: Land of Israel Yisrael" or the "Land of Israel" was part of the official Hebrew name of Mandatory Palestine. Official Hebrew documents used the Hebrew transliteration of the word “Palestine” פלשתינה (Palestina) followed always by the two initial letters of "Eretz Yisrael", א״י Aleph-Yod. The Land of Israel concept has been evoked by the founders of the State of Israel. It often surfaces in political debates on the status of the West Bank, which is referred to in official Israeli discourse as the Judea and Samaria Area, from the names of the two historical Jewish kingdoms. The term "Land of Israel" is a

neg: Arabic language in Israel even so students don't reach fluency unless they continue their studies in the military, mostly in order to take part in an intelligence job. In March 2007, the Knesset approved a new law calling for the establishment of an Arabic Language Academy similar to the Academy of the Hebrew Language. This institute was established in 2008, its center is in Haifa and it is currently headed by Prof. Mahmud Ghanayem. In 2008, a group of Knesset members proposed a bill to remove Arabic's status as an official language. Similar bills have been proposed in 2011 and 2014. In 2009, Israel

neg: Charter of the French Language not form a majority in this constituent country of the United Kingdom. According to Colin H. Williams, professor and researcher at the Welsh Department of Cardiff University particular lessons followed in Wales which stem from the experience of Quebec are: In Israel, while the "penetration of English in the sociolinguistic organization of the country" is perceived, according to Bernard Spolsky, professor emeritus of English at the Bar-Ilan University, as a threat to Hebrew, the language policy has thus far only influenced linguists and some politicians. He writes: Periodically, Israeli politicians present bills to proclaim Hebrew the sole official language of

neg: Languages of Israel as a language with "a special status in the State" (article 4). The law further says that it should not be interpreted as compromising the status of the Arabic language in practice prior to the enactment of the basic law, namely, it preserves the status quo and changes the status of Hebrew and Arabic only nominally. Before the enactment of the aforementioned basic law, the status of official language in Israel was determined by the 82nd paragraph of the "Order in Council" issued on 14 August 1922, for the British Mandate, as amended in 1939: This law, like most other

neg: Russian language in Israel least one Jewish grandparent, or being the spouse of Jewish immigrants who received Israeli citizenship according to the Law of Return. Although free Hebrew courses are offered to every immigrant, some immigrants did not take them. In 2013, about 26 percent of Russian immigrants did not speak fluent Hebrew. Russians often settle close to each other, forming Russian-speaking neighborhoods with store window advertisements in Russian and banks with at least a few Russian-speaking workers. Ashdod, the fifth largest city in Israel, absorbed a particularly large number of immigrants, accepting over 100,000 Soviet Jews from 1990 to 2001. The Yud-Yud Gimmel

neg: Eliezer Ben-Yehuda Talmud. His mother and uncle hoped he would become a rabbi, and sent him to a yeshiva. There he was exposed to the Hebrew of the enlightenment which included some secular writings. Later, he learned French, German, and Russian, and was sent to Dünaburg for further education. Reading the Hebrew-language newspaper, "HaShahar", he became acquainted with the early movement of Zionism and concluded that the revival of the Hebrew language in the Land of Israel could unite all Jews worldwide. Upon graduation he went to Paris to study at the Sorbonne University. Among the subjects he studied there were history

neg: Maronite Church in Israel century, then Arabic took its place, while classical Syriac remained in use only for liturgical purposes. Recently, the Jish community has made efforts to revive neo-Aramaic to the level of a spoken language. Although the vast majority of Maronites in the Middle East are currently Arabic-speakers, the Jish Maronite community of Galilee is unique, as they have retained a "Hebrew-like" tongue, traced to Aramaic. Recently, the Israeli Ministry of Education provided an official status to Aramaic language studies for children in Jish school. Maronite Church in Israel Maronites in Israel () belong to the Maronite Catholic Church, which has historically

neg: Languages of Israel Yiddish, just like Aramaic replaced Hebrew in ancient times. The movement for the revival of Hebrew as a spoken language was particularly popular among new Jewish Zionist immigrants who came to Ottoman ruled Mutasarrifate of Jerusalem beginning in the 1880s. Eliezer Ben-Yehuda (born in the Russian Empire) and his followers created the first Hebrew-speaking schools, newspapers, and other Hebrew-language institutions. As Max Weinreich notes in his book, "History of the Yiddish Language, Volume 1", the "very making of Hebrew into a spoken language derives from the will to separate from the Diaspora". After Ben Yehuda's immigration to Israel, and due

neg: Jehoash Inscription usages that did not jibe with what we know of ancient Hebrew writing and language." He also quotes paleographer Christopher Rollston for the assertion that the relative height of some letters is incorrect. Greenstein concludes: "The judge, overwhelmed by the diverse testimony, was inconclusive. However, the judgment of scholars who read ancient texts and analyze their language and writing is clear: no textbook of ancient Hebrew inscriptions will ever include the so-called Jehoash text; no historian of ancient Israel will ever count the inscription as a source; no grammarian or lexicographer of ancient Hebrew will ever include words, phrases, or

neg: Sha'ar LaMathil Sha'ar LaMathil Sha’ar LaMatchil (in Hebrew שער למתחיל, "Gateway for the Beginner"), was a weekly Israeli newspaper written in easy Hebrew. Publication has ceased as of April 2012 and it remains unclear if and when the paper will return. The weekly was founded in 1956 by the "Department for Language Endowment" of the Israeli Ministry of Education. The newspaper is intended for olim and other newcomers to Israel who are learning the Hebrew Language, and is also designed for those who are studying Hebrew at an ulpan. The newspaper addresses many different topics in varying degrees of language complexity. It

neg: Hebrew Catholics the Jewish religious holidays (; ; ; and in ). The movement is neither a sectarian group within the Catholic Church nor a schismatic movement outside it. Hebrew Catholics are constituted of people with both Jewish and non-Jewish origins. Some are Jewish converts to Catholicism who live in Israel with Hebrew as a first language; the vast majority are the children of foreign workers who were already Catholics, but were born and grew up in Israel, and also have Hebrew as their first language. The main associations of the movement are the Association of Hebrew Catholics (AHC), Remnant Of Israel

neg: Russian language in Israel neighborhoods in southern Ashdod, where immigrants account for 75 percent of the population of 26,000, were dubbed "Israel's Russian ghetto". The process of integration into mainstream Israeli society is slow, because many Russian-speaking adults prefer to not learn Hebrew and are reluctant to give up their Russian cultural background. Language professors Elana Shohamy and Bernard Spolsky attributed this to a "strong loyalty to their ethnic language". Hayim Gordon describes the situation in his 2007 book "Israel today": Today, Russian is in a much better position than Arabic, which has a special official status in the country. The Russian-speaking adult population,

neg: Israelis spoken non-official languages. Yiddish (2%) and French (2%) are also spoken. A certain degree of English is spoken widely, and is the language of choice for many Israeli businesses. Courses of Hebrew and English are mandatory in the Israeli matriculation exams ("bagrut"), and most schools also offer one or more out of Arabic, Spanish, German or French. The Israeli government also offers free intensive Hebrew-language courses, known as "ulpanim" (singular "ulpan"), for new Jewish immigrants, to try to help them integrate into Israeli society. Israelis Israelis ( "Yiśraʾelim", "al-ʾIsrāʾīliyyin") are citizens or permanent residents of the State of Israel, a

neg: Languages of Israel Francophonie, but has been rebuffed by its Arab members. Tel Aviv University is a member of the Agence universitaire de la Francophonie (AUF). The melting pot policy, which governed the Israel language policy in its early days, was gradually neglected during the late 1970s. While in the 1950s Israeli law banned Yiddish-language theaters and forced civil servants to adopt Hebrew surnames, the new policy allowed immigrants to communicate with the authorities in their language of origin and encouraged them to keep their original language and culture. This new practice has become evident since the early 1990s with massive immigration from

neg: Hebrew language Hebrew language Hebrew (; or ) is a Northwest Semitic language native to Israel, the modern version of which is spoken by over 9 million people worldwide. Historically, it is regarded as the language of the Israelites and their ancestors, although the language was not referred to by the name Hebrew in the Tanakh. The earliest examples of written Paleo-Hebrew date from the 10th century BCE. Hebrew belongs to the West Semitic branch of the Afroasiatic language family. Hebrew is the only living Canaanite language left, and the only truly successful example of a revived dead language. Hebrew had ceased

neg: Sasson Somekh by Judah Magnes. Somekh earned a Bachelor's degree in Hebrew Language and History from Tel Aviv University, and a Master's degree in Linguistics of Semitic languages at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. In 1962–1965, Somekh served as scientific secretary of the Academy of the Hebrew Language. He did his doctorate at Oxford University in 1966–1968. His subject was the novels of Naguib Mahfouz, concentrating on the Cairo Trilogy. Over the years Mahfouz and Somekh became friends. The thesis supervisor was Egyptian scholar Mustafa Badawi. Upon his return to Israel he became a lecturer in Arabic Literature. He served as chairman

neg: Ethiopian Jews in Israel many of the new immigrants. Name changing also caused a symbolic break with the new immigrants' past. The Israeli authorities originally gave many of the new immigrants Hebrew given names, Hebrew names, and required them all to have family names, which did not exist in the Ethiopian society. These name changes created a two tier system, in which old and new names were used by the new immigrants. The immersion with the Hebrew language was not easy for the new immigrants, and the majority of the new immigrants never managed to master the language, even after living many years in

neg: Modern Hebrew of Israel and Judah, during about 1200 to 586 BCE. Scholars debate the degree to which Hebrew remained a spoken vernacular following the Babylonian captivity, when Old Aramaic became the predominant international language in the region. Hebrew died out as a vernacular language somewhere between 200 and 400 CE, declining after the Bar Kokhba revolt of 132–136 CE, which devastated the population of Judea. After the exile Hebrew became restricted to liturgical use. Hebrew had been spoken at various times and for a number of purposes throughout the Diaspora, and during the Old Yishuv it had developed into a spoken

neg: Raikin Ben-Ari the famed Habima Theatre in Moscow, a Hebrew-language theatre, at a time when revolutionary Russia did not look kindly on Jewish-oriented activities. The company produced a landmark production of "The Dybbuk", a play which has gone on to be a staple of Jewish theatre. In the 1920s, Ben-Ari and the Habima company traveled to New York and produced "The Dybbuk" on Broadway. A schism formed in the company and some members went to Palestine, reestablishing Habima there, where it continues (now in Israel) to this day as the premiere Hebrew theatre company. Other members of the company, including Ben-Ari, remained

neg: Middle East of the family of Indo-European languages. Other Western Iranic languages spoken in the region include Achomi, Daylami, Kurdish dialects, Semmani, Lurish, amongst many others. The third-most widely spoken language, Turkish, is largely confined to Turkey, which is also one of the region's largest and most populous countries, but it is present in areas in neighboring countries. It is a member of the Turkic languages, which have their origins in Central Asia. Another Turkic language, Azerbaijani, is spoken by Azerbaijanis in Iran. Hebrew is one of the two official languages of Israel, the other being Arabic. Hebrew is spoken and used

neg: David Levin (ice hockey) the best league in the world, so I told him that’s my dream now," Levin told "The Jerusalem Post". At home Levin spoke Russian, while in school he used Hebrew; prior to moving to Canada he did not speak any English, and in order to develop this he decided to not attend a Hebrew-language school. Due to the sparsity of ice rinks in Israel, with the closest rink a four-hour drive, Levin grew up playing inline hockey, starting when he was four-years-old. He played in several tournaments for the Israeli national inline team, winning awards in the process, but desired

neg: Israeli Sign Language is the most used and taught sign language in Israel, and serves as the main mode of communication for most deaf people in Israel, including Jewish, Muslim and Christian Arabs, Druze, and Bedouins. Some Arab, Druze, and Bedouin towns and villages have sign languages of their own. In addition to ISL, there is also Hebrew manually coded language used as a tool to teaching deaf children the Hebrew language, and for communication between deaf and hearing people. Israeli Sign Language Israeli Sign Language, or ISL, is the most commonly used sign language in the deaf community of Israel. Some other

neg: Demographics of Israel workers include the Chinese, Thai, Filipinos, Nigerians, Romanians, and Latin Americans. Approximately 100–200 refugees from Bosnia, Kosovo, Iraqi Kurdistan, and North Korea were absorbed in Israel as refugees. Most of them were also given Israeli resident status, and currently reside in Israel. As of 2006, some 200 ethnic Kurdish refugees from Turkey resided in Israel as illegal immigrants, fleeing the Turkey-PKK conflict. Due to its immigrant nature, Israel is one of the most multicultural and multilingual societies in the world. Hebrew is the official language of the country, and Arabic is given special status, while English and Russian are the

neg: Camelia Suleiman served as the Academic Director of the school's Arabic Flagship Program until spring 2017. She is also the Arabic language coordinator at MSU. Suleiman also serves on the Editorial Board of 'Journal of Psycholinguistic Research', and 'Journal of Social Distress and the Homeless'. Suleiman received a Post-Doctoral Fellowship from the Hebrew University in Jerusalem and multiple research grants in the US. In 2017, Suleiman published 'The Politics of Arabic in Israel: A Sociolinguistic Analysis' which explores the contradictory position of Arabic being both an official language and at the same time marginalized in Israel. She concludes that 'while Palestinians lost

neg: Simon bar Kokhba who wanted to revive the Hebrew language and make it the official language of the state." Simon bar Kokhba is portrayed in rabbinic literature as being somewhat irrational and irascible in conduct. The Talmud says that he presided over an army of Jewish insurgents numbering some 200,000, but had compelled its young recruits to prove their valor by each man chopping off one of his own fingers. The Sages of Israel complained to him why he marred the people of Israel with such blemishes. Whenever he would go forth into battle, he was reported as saying: "O Master of the

neg: Land of Israel for Palestine, advanced the Zionist cause. Early in the deliberations toward British civilian administration, two fundamental decisions were taken, which bear upon the status of the Jews as a nation; the first was the recognition of Hebrew as an official language, along with English and Arabic, and the second concerned the Hebrew name of the country. In 1920, the Jewish members of the first High Commissioner's advisory council objected to the Hebrew transliteration of the word “Palestine” פלשתינה ("Palestina") on the ground that the traditional name was ארץ ישראל ("Eretz Yisrael"), but the Arab members would not agree to this

neg: Rahab (Egypt) in the text. Rahab represents the primordial abyss, the water-dragon of darkness and chaos, comparable to Leviathan and Tiamat. Rahab later became a particular demon, inhabitant of the sea, especially associated with the Red Sea.. The official Hebrew name for the planet Neptune in a vote organised by the Academy of the Hebrew Language in 2009. The name of several Israel Navy submarines, including the fifth Dolphin class submarine slated to enter service in late 2015, the INS Rahav. Rahab (Egypt) Rahab "m.n." ( is used in the Hebrew Bible to indicate "rage, fierceness, insolence, pride.") Rahab is the emblematic

neg: IDT Global Israel IDT Global Israel IDT Global Israel is a multi-lingual contact services company headquartered in Jerusalem, Israel. Until July 1, 2008, it was a fully owned subsidiary of IDT Corp.; on that date, 80% of the company was sold to its Israeli CEO, Eli Ninio, with 20% remaining in the hands of Howard Jonas' IDT Corp.. Among the company's customers are Netgear, McAfee, 888.com, and the Israeli political party Shas. Most of the company's projects are not in Hebrew - Israel's primary official language - but rather in various European languages, including English, German, French, Dutch, Spanish and others. Until 2007,

neg: Dov Frohman On his return to Israel, Frohman taught at the School of Applied Sciences at Hebrew University of Jerusalem and worked as a consultant to Intel on the side. In 1985, after negotiations with the Israeli government on the establishment of a semiconductor plant in Jerusalem, Intel’s first outside the United States, he left Hebrew University to become general manager of Intel Israel. In 1991, during the First Gulf War, when Iraq attacked Israel with Scud missiles, Frohman kept Intel Israel open despite recommendations from the Israel Civil Defense authority that all non-essential businesses close down. As a result, Intel Israel

neg: The Story of Joseph and His Brethren only Kingdom prepared for the seven-year drought. In the second year of famine, Joseph's half brothers were sent to Egypt, by their father Israel, to buy goods. When they came to Egypt, they stood before the Vizier but did not recognize him to be their brother Joseph. However, Joseph "did" recognize them and did not receive them kindly, rather he disguised himself and spoke to them in the Egyptian language using an interpreter. He did not speak at all to them in his native tongue, Hebrew. After questioning them as to where they came from, he accused them of being

neg: Black Hebrew Israelites Black Hebrews may be granted citizenship. The Black Hebrews of Israel have become well known for their gospel choir, which tours throughout Israel and the United States. The group owns restaurants in several Israeli cities. In 2003 the Black Hebrews garnered much public attention when singer Whitney Houston visited them in Dimona. In 2006, Eddie Butler, a Black Hebrew, was chosen by the Israeli public to represent Israel in the Eurovision Song Contest. In late 2008, the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) described as black supremacist what it called "the extremist fringe of the Hebrew Israelite movement". It wrote that

neg: Israel Yeivin From 1968 Israel taught in the Hebrew University Language Department, later on becoming a professor and Head of the Hebrew Language Faculty. In 1990 he retired. He continued interest in further research of the subjects he had taught: The Masorah; The Bible Accentuation (Ta'amei HaMikra); The traditional language as revealed in the Babylonian Vocalization; Rabbinical Hebrew, "the language of the Sages" (Leshon Hachamim); The Liturgical Poetic Language (Leshon HaPiyyut); and Lexicology. He published 3 books and more than 50 research papers. In 1975 Yeivin spent several months at Cambridge, England helping to unravel and classify documents from the Cairo Genizah.

neg: Israel Yeivin Israel Yeivin Israel Yeivin (Hebrew: ישראל ייבין) (born January 7, 1923 in Berlin – died December 19, 2008) was an Israeli linguist, scholar of Masorah and the Hebrew language. Israel Yeivin was born in Berlin. His family immigrated to Palestine when he was seven, and he grew up in Tel Aviv. His father, Yehoshua Yeivin, was a conceptual philosopher of the Revisionist Zionism movement and founder of the radical Zionist group Brit HaBirionim. His mother was Miryam Atara Margolin. He got his elementary schooling at Ahad Ha'Am School and completed his secondary schooling at Gymnasia Balfour in 1940. Soon after,

neg: Israel Yeivin Professors Ezra Fleischer and Jacob Sussmann shared in this work with Yeivin. In 1986, Yeivin was awarded the Friedenberg Prize for his book "The Hebrew Language Tradition as Reflected in the Babylonian Vocalization". In 1989, he was awarded the Israel Prize, for the study of the Hebrew language. Among the reasons for their decision, the judges stated that "…he is one of the greatest world authorities in the study of the Masorah and Accentuation (Teamim) and the greatest scholar of the Hebrew Masorah in Babylonian Vocalization." Yeivin was a member of the Academy of the Hebrew Language from 1987 and

neg: Yiddish is a dialect with an army and navy"). The national language of Israel is Hebrew. The debate in Zionist circles over the use of Yiddish in Israel and in the Diaspora in preference to Hebrew also reflected the tensions between religious and secular Jewish lifestyles. Many secular Zionists wanted Hebrew as the sole language of Jews, to contribute to a national cohesive identity. Traditionally religious Jews, on the other hand, preferred use of Yiddish, viewing Hebrew as a respected holy language reserved for prayer and religious study. In the early 20th century, Zionist activists in Palestine tried to eradicate the

neg: Natan Gamedze Wits, he noticed someone writing from right to left in his notebook and found out that the language was Hebrew. Later he decided to take a Hebrew language course at that university, which sparked his interest in Jewish texts. Upon the invitation of Moshe Sharon, a professor at Hebrew University of Jerusalem, he came to Israel to study for a doctorate in Hebrew language. While in Israel, he took philosophy classes at Ohr Somayach Yeshiva in Jerusalem, and converted to Judaism in 1991. He continued to learn at Ohr Somayach for another four years. Among his study partners was Dr.