Rx FOR HEBREW
IN AMERICAN
JEWISH COMMUNITIES

by JONATHAN PARADISE

H ebrew is alive and well in Israel. Its amazing success story is not that of a miracle but rather of historical circumstances and the dogged determination of a tiny portion of the Jewish People who were committed to its revival as a spoken language.

Hebrew in America, by contrast, presents a dismal picture. True, Hebrew language and literature are taught in a great many colleges and universities. And although enrollments of undergraduates and graduate students have declined significantly in recent years, Hebrew still ranks far above most less commonly taught languages. However, it is the place of Hebrew as a living language in our Jewish communities that needs urgent care. By “living language” I mean a language that is used for communication — even brief communications between Jews in non-ritual contexts. All too often, Hebrew is not the language that Jews choose as the medium to voice their hopes and intents to their fellow Jews. For this reason, Hebrew in America lacks the genuine raison d’être that would motivate both young and old to learn to speak and understand more Hebrew. In short, Hebrew as a spoken language is not necessary in the American Jewish community, and so it is in danger of withering through neglect. Jews in America are in danger of being an ethnic community devoid of its language. There is always the risk that such communities fail to survive.

Yet there is much that we can do to reverse this trend. Some of the following suggestions are easily accomplished and are already practiced in some of our communities. Others would be innovations. None of them is beyond reach.

VISUAL STIMULI

The signs on the doors in our public buildings can be bilingual. The boxes of kipot in synagogue lobbies can have the word zz on them. Invitations to bar/bat mitzvah celebrations, weddings and Federation dinners can be in English and Hebrew. The same can be true of the menus and programs.

PUBLIC SPEECH

Who can forget the moment when President Clinton concluded his eulogy of Yitzhak Rabin with the words ? It became a bumper sticker and a source of . We need to encourage Israeli consuls and ambassadors to devote 30 seconds or so to briefly greet us in Hebrew, as Ben Gurion used to do. They must be told not to be ashamed to speak to us in Hebrew, and they should not repeat their words in an English translation — just as the Rabbis of an earlier generation did not translate. the Yiddish quips or jokes in their sermons.

The bar mitzvah or bat mitzvah should be encouraged to prepare some brief remarks in Hebrew, and the Rabbi should speak a few sentences to the child in Hebrew. Again, no translation. When a Hebrew-speaking couple stands under the during their wedding and hears the Rabbi speak to them personally in Hebrew, it sends a powerful message to all present. Hebrew is our intimate, Jewish language.

It should go without saying that Rabbis and other public speakers should use the Israeli mode of accentuation so that those who have learned some Hebrew in school will be able to easily identify the words. Rabbis should be told that they are not perceived as more authentic when they use the Ashkenazi pronunciation.

PUBLIC RECOGNITION FOR HEBREW ACHIEVEMENT

We can publicly celebrate the learning of Hebrew by awarding prizes and certificates. Just as some synagogues give out the “golden kippah award” or a silver yad for torah readers, we can give suitable awards to those who have achieved milestones in their acquisition of the Hebrew language.

SPECIAL EVENTS

We could declare that at the or after the services we will address one another using our Hebrew names and greet each other in Hebrew. How about a dance for teens where we talk as much Hebrew as possible? A Hebrew skit night? All of these activities used to be common in many Jewish summer camps.

SUMMER CAMPS

I spent many happy summers in Camp Ramah and Habonim Camps and had friends who went to Olin-Sang-Ruby Union Institute. Many of my friends acquired their Hebrew fluency in those camps. It seems to me that we can and should encourage these wonderful institutions to restore and revitalize the Hebrew content in their camps. Summer camps are ideal settings for creating models of what our communities can become. It is here that Hebrew songs, dances, dramatic pre- sentations and debate can flourish and build our future community leaders’ knowledge of Hebrew.

HEBREW IN THE HOME

Here is where the deepest attachment to the Hebrew language can be established and nurtured. Parents can train their children to address them as and . Grandparents can be referred to as and . Tomorrow , is coming for a visit.” “ Simple phrases like and . Hebrew lullabies and other songs go a long way towards creating a Jewish home. Some families may decide to just ask for foods to be passed in Hebrew while the rest of the table talk is in English — “ zzz.”

One of my favorite suggestions is “Hebrew for Dogs!” For years our family had a series of dogs, each of them trained in Hebrew. All of our children’s friends knew the Hebrew dog commands, for that was the only way to restrain them!

Finally, there may be some couples that decide to make Hebrew their exclusive household language. That is an ambitious undertaking, but one that some young parents are opting for (including the rabbi of my congregation, Beth El in Minneapolis). They should be supported and celebrated.

HEBREW IN THE SCHOOLS

Why should it be surprising that one often hears “kids hate Hebrew school”? Children spend many years laboriously sounding out syllables that have little or no meaning. They are made to read texts that are often not age-appropriate. They gradually learn that it does not matter if they understand what they are “reading” (of course this is not real reading!). What is important is that they pronounce the words correctly and at an acceptable pace. They learn to shut off their brains and not seek meaning as they trudge endlessly through the syllables.

But there is another method of learning a language. It is a method that uses a simplified spelling system — the one used throughout Israeli life. It is a method that teaches children to read words and sentences that already have come to have meaning for them — just as was the case when they learned to read English. It is a method of learning Hebrew that emphasizes a communicative approach to language learning, so that learning Hebrew is both meaningful and rewarding. It is a method that places understanding and speaking ahead of reading and writing. And finally, it is a method that makes use of everything that has been learned about teaching and learning languages.

Making Hebrew our Jewish language in America will not be achieved through a miracle. It will come about only as the result of determined, deliberate and planned efforts. ■

Jonathan Paradise, Ph.D., is Emeritus Professor of Hebrew at the University of Minnesota. He and his wife, Ruth, develop software for teaching and learning Hebrew. He can be reached at jonathan@creativehe-brewsoftware.com.

Rx FOR HEBREW IN AMERICAN JEWISH COMMUNITIES