Speaking of Hebrew
Description
How American Jews speak about Hebrew reveals the central concerns of contemporary American Jewish life.
Why do American Jews talk endlessly about Hebrew when many barely read or speak the language? This ethnolinguistic study examines the complex and often contradictory role of Hebrew in American Jewish life, drawing on extensive fieldwork, hundreds of interviews, and a wide-ranging corpus of communal discourse. By shifting the focus to Hebrew language ideologies, Sharon Avni moves beyond conventional assessments of linguistic competence and argues that what American Jews say about Hebrew is as revealing as what they say with it. Debates about Hebrew are never really just about language but rather are struggles over Jewish identity, authenticity, and the future of American Jewry. Centering the voices of journalists, communal figures, scholars, and educators, as well as adult Hebrew learners, Speaking of Hebrew offers a fresh and compelling way of understanding contemporary Jewish identity and culture in America.
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Person
Sharon Avni is professor of academic literacy and linguistics at the Borough of Manhattan Community College at the City University of New York. She is the coauthor of Judaism Mediated: Learning About Jewishness Through the Cultural Arts and Hebrew Infusion: Language and Community at American Jewish Summer Camps, which won the 2020 National Jewish Book Award in Education and Jewish Identity from the Jewish Book Council.