by Rabbi Andrew Ergas, EdD

Thursday, January 8 marks Hebrew Language Day, celebrating the 168th birthday, and the vital contributions, of Eliezer Ben Yehuda. Ben Yehuda’s passionate belief was that a shared language could unite a scattered nation. He was right.

We are in a precarious moment now. The living hostages are home and a war that no one really believes is over is at least quiet. Antisemitism has moved from the shadows to the fore while fierce fighting across the political and religious spectrums threaten to pull us apart when we most need to join together. Now is the time when we must lean into that which can unite us within all the beautiful diversity of the world Jewish community. The things that divide us may look different than the world in which Ben Yehuda lived, but the urgency is no less present, and his solution is no less relevant. Actualizing Hebrew is a concrete act of solidarity and a critical act of unity.

Hebrew, as Ben Yehuda understood it, was critical to the full realization of the Zionist enterprise.

“שני הדברים שבלעדיהם לא יהיו היהודים” לעם: הארץ והלשון.”

“There are two things without which the Jews will not be a nation – their land and their language.”

In 1879, Eliezer Ben Yehuda wrote these words in an article entitled שאלה לוהטה (A Burning Question). He was a radical – freeing Hebrew from two thousand years of exclusive use in sacred spaces and returning it to everyday conversational use. His genius was in creating a program of vocabulary development, educational programs, and teacher training to make what seemed like an aspirational concept into reality. His wasn’t just a technical vision for what was needed in the building of a Jewish homeland. It was a deep appreciation for how common language creates community, and that out of shared language comes the creation of shared meaning.

A century and a half later, world Jewry today exists in a very different time than Ben Yehuda. Today, more than half of Jewish kindergarteners today speak Hebrew as their first language, something his daughter and son, the first two children in the modern era to grow up with Hebrew as their “mother language,” could never imagine. His Vaad HaLashon, the Committee of the Hebrew Language, continues its work a century later, now housed at the Academy of Hebrew Language on the Givat Ram campus of Hebrew University. Lectures, Israeli rock and rap, a world class television and cinema, and even off-color jokes are conducted in what should accurately be called a vernacularized language. One can only imagine that a visit to today’s world of Hebrew would leave Ben Yehuda filled with pride about these advances.

And yet, antisemitism, a significant driver of the Zionist project of Ben Yehuda’s time, has once again become part of public and cultural discourse. Inspirational Aliyah that propelled Ben Yehuda to move to Israel continues but a counter-vailing emigration of Israeli headed elsewhere has contributed to the recently reported statistic that the country’s population growth is at a record-low. Given the past two years, both Jews in Israel and Jews in the diaspora have been shaken by forces from without and from within as we all grapple with this historic moment where we find ourselves.

That which held us together as a people is being broken down on multiple fronts.  The mix of theological differences and politics in both Israel and abroad bring more attention to our differences than to the many aspects of communal life that could serve to strengthen unity. Splintered communal efforts to fight antisemitism, funding priorities within the philanthropic community, questions as to who will bear the burden of security of the Jewish State or the rising cost of protecting Jewish facilities throughout the world are all issues that are generating more heat than light.

This is where Ben Yehuda’s vision becomes urgent again. We can leverage our shared inheritance – the Hebrew language – as a starting point for meaningful connection. While our day schools, camps, gap year programs, university Hebrew programs, and Israeli-based study abroad programs are dedicating time and funds to Hebrew language instruction, creating a personal relationship with Hebrew and setting aside time to strengthen one’s language skills can serve as a critical connector and as a powerful act of personal solidarity with Israel and global Jewry.

While some may choose to express their commitments by moving to Israel or visiting on a regular basis, taking on the challenge of deepening our Hebrew skills is a meaningful, actionable step most can take. Whether through language apps, online courses, in-person conversation groups, or university courses, the opportunities for Hebrew language learning abound. And while new technologies may allow people who do not speak Hebrew the opportunity to engage with Israelis, Israeli culture, and Hebrew texts in translation, the role the language plays in our individual and collective identity transcend its mere communicative function. Hebrew can give us the tools to engage with unfiltered, authentic Israeli sources and, when it seems that the only lens through which our media exposes us to Israel, it can connect us to the culture beyond the conflict.

In honor of Hebrew Language Day, consider being serious about learning Hebrew. Know that you are also not alone in doing so. In addition to the organization I lead, Hebrew at the Center, other key leaders in Hebrew language advocacy include The Academy of the Hebrew Language and the Hebrew Consortium at Brandeis University, each building and strengthening the field. Many of the readers of this piece live near a university, a JCC, a central agency, or a synagogue that is eager to welcome you to their adult Hebrew program or to have you join a Hebrew conversation group that meets in a more informal manner. Dedicating time to learning Hebrew isn’t just an honor to our heritage, it is an act of solidarity and a powerful tool for connection and unity.

B’hatzlacha and happy Hebrew Language Day!