Speaking of Hebrew
What Language Does for American Jews
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.
“Avni's lively, nuanced exploration of Modern Hebrew in America shows how it serves as a complex and dynamic resource intertwined with identity, sociality, and politics. Highlighting the importance of language ideologies and countering the notion of a single 'real' Hebrew, this insightful work illuminates how diverse speakers interact with Hebrew, reshaping it to build, sustain, and redefine contemporary Jewish belonging.”
- Bambi B. Schieffelin, professor emerita of anthropology, New York University
“Sharon Avni asks a bold and innovative question: How does Hebrew function for a population of American Jews that do not really speak the language? As the book explains, Hebrew holds together so much of what American Jews think being Jewish is about. By listening carefully, Avni deftly weaves together an answer that is ingenious, insightful, and inspiring.”
- Ari Kelman, Jim Joseph Professor of Education and Jewish Studies, Stanford University
“Speaking of Hebrew is as timely as it is illuminating. Avni brilliantly unpacks a defining paradox—American Jews talk frequently about Hebrew while rarely speaking it—showing how discourse in and about Hebrew opens a window into American Jewishness, localized and repurposed to meet distinctive spiritual, cultural, and social needs.”
- Kendall King, professor of multilingual education, University of Minnesota