Hebrew is what can still unite us, says Eliezer ben Yehuda’s great-grandson
ISRAELI FOOD WRITER and TV presenter Gil Hovav gave a personal take on the revival of Hebrew as a spoken language when he addressed the annual PaJeS Ivrit conference in London.
He is the great-grandson of Eliezer ben Yehuda, compiler of the first modern Hebrew dictionary who died a hundred years ago.
Some 40 teachers listened with rapt attention as he related his greatgrandfather’s tumultuous life story — his difficult childhood, emigration to Ottoman Palestine and his and his wife Hemda’s mission of publishing the Hebrew dictionary and eventual success in reviving the language.
Mr Hovav’s parents also played their part, co-founding Israeli public radio
Speaking to the JC after his talk, Mr Hovav stressed the importance of teaching Hebrew. “Two years ago I was involved with Gesher,” he said. “It’s an organisation that builds bridges between Israel and Jews in the diaspora. And what we were discussing and what we found out when we travelled to the US was that Hebrew may be the only link.
“Israelis and Jews in the diaspora are very different. The way we look at religion is different, our political views are different, our political status is different. I mean Jews in Britain are British people, I’m an Israeli. I’m a different species.
“The thing that connects us is language. And I know that Hebrew studies or Hebrew language studies may be decaying or may be not as strong as they used to be, and I think that this is something we should really try and take care of because it’s the basis of our culture, and it’s a wonderful way to communicate.”
It was true, he said, that “Israelis speak English quite well and speak tech quite well, but once a Jew from the diaspora gets to Israel, if she or he speaks Hebrew, everything is so friendlier.
“So, Hebrew is essential, and Hebrew is a way to connect, and a way to belong. It’s a part of our culture and we shouldn’t lose it. In Israel there is no danger of losing Hebrew anymore but in the diaspora, there is, and I’m so glad to see that there are so many schools that are teaching Hebrew, be it in England, the US or France. It’s heart-warming.”
Alma Primary Hebrew teacher, Chen Potashnick, said, “It’s nice to know and to hear another language. It’s the connection to a culture, to the people you are working with or having a connection with, the networking with other children — it’s so important.
“And I think that’s why I want to be a Hebrew teacher in England, in London, because I want to bring all I can for these children to be confident, and to send them outside and to know, to learn another language.”