Ben-Yehuda's vision of a modern Hebrew eventually came to animate a large part of the Jewish world, and gave new confidence and pride to Jewish youth during the most difficult period of modern history, infusing Zionism with a dynamic cultural content. This book examines the many changes that occurred in the transition to Modern Hebrew, acquainting new students of the language with its role as a model for other national revivals, and explaining how it overcame many obstacles to become a spoken vernacular. The author deals primarily with the social and political use of the language and does not cover literature. Also discussed are the dilemmas facing the language arising from the fact that Israelis and Jews in the Diaspora "don't speak the same language," while Israeli Arabs and Jews often do.

This third edition of Modern Hebrew: An Essential Grammar is an up-to-date and practical reference guide to the most important aspects of modern Hebrew, as used by contemporary native speakers of the language. Presenting an accessible description of the language, this user-friendly text focuses on the real patterns of use today. A reference source for the learner and user of Hebrew irrespective of level, it sets out the complexities of the language in short, readable sections that are clear and free from jargon. Features of this updated edition include: * expanded coverage of nouns, verbs and adjectives * more examples throughout * a full exercise key * a glossary of grammatical terms. Well presented and easy to use, Modern Hebrew: An Essential Grammar is ideal either for independent study or for students in schools, colleges, universities and adult education.

The rise of printing had major effects on culture and society in the early modern period, and the presence of this new technology—and the relatively rapid embrace of it among early modern Jews—certainly had an effect on many aspects of Jewish culture. One major change that print seems to have brought to the Jewish communities of Christian Europe, particularly in Italy, was greater interaction between Jews and Christians in the production and dissemination of books. Starting in the early sixteenth century, the locus of production for Jewish books in many places in Italy was in Christian-owned print shops, with Jews and Christians collaborating on the editorial and technical processes of book production. As this Jewish-Christian collaboration often took place under conditions of control by Christians (for example, the involvement of Christian typesetters and printers, expurgation and censorship of Hebrew texts, and state control of Hebrew printing), its study opens up an important set of questions about the role that Christians played in shaping Jewish culture. Presenting new research by an international group of scholars, this book represents a step toward a fuller understanding of Jewish book history. Individual essays focus on a range of issues related to the production and dissemination of Hebrew books as well as their audiences. Topics include the activities of scribes and printers, the creation of new types of literature and the transformation of canonical works in the era of print, the external and internal censorship of Hebrew books, and the reading interests of Jews. An introduction summarizes the state of scholarship in the field and offers an overview of the transition from manuscript to print in this period.

A reference book on Modern Hebrew morphology and syntax, this describes the language as it is really spoken and written in Israel today. The author pays particular attention to functional distinctions, giving equal weight to colloquial and formal usage.

The Routledge Introductory Course in Modern Hebrew is an integrated language course designed ideally for classroom–based learners. Adopting an eclectic approach, the course contains 90 lessons combining authentic texts, grammar explanations, and exercises with audiovisual materials to guide and support the student through the key skills of reading, writing, speaking and listening. Features include: A wide range of texts, from dialogues and simple narratives to newspaper articles and poetry Over 30 additional passages for extended reading Vocabulary lists for each text A variety of exercises for every lesson including oral drills, listening comprehension, grammar exercises and writing practice Glossaries for each unit and a comprehensive dictionary Thorough explanation of all the grammatical issues that arise at the introductory level A solid grammatical foundation presented in an accessible, user-friendly manner Cultural notes to introduce students to Israeli society All the texts, wordlists, and verb conjugations are freely available in an audiovisual format on the companion website: http://routledgehebrew.com/ An integral part of the course, the website also contains a wealth of additional resources including: Answers to all of the exercises in the book Interactive exercises Audiovisual verb dictionary Audiovisual charts of prepositions and nouns with their pronoun suffixes Audiovisual reference charts of numbers, colors, the days of the week, etc. Checklists and review lessons for each unit Links to Israeli websites Videos and music The Routledge Introductory Course in Modern Hebrew provides everything that students and instructors need for an engaging and effective learning environment.

Modern Hebrew for Intermediate Students—which is now revised and updated—and Modern Hebrew for Beginners are the core of a multimedia program for the college-level Hebrew classroom developed at the University of Texas at Austin in the early 2000s. Within an intensive framework of instruction that assumes six weekly hours in the classroom, the program provides for two semesters of instruction, at the end of which most successful students will reach the intermediate-mid or intermediate-high levels of proficiency in speaking and reading, and some will reach advanced-low proficiency, as defined by the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL). In addition to a variety of written exercises, the workbook includes vocabulary lists, reading selections, discussions of cultural topics, illustrations of grammar points, notes on registers, suggestions for class and individual activities, and glossaries. The workbook is complemented by a website (http://www.laits.utexas.edu/hebrew) that provides short video segments originally scripted and filmed in Israel and the United States, vocabulary flashcards with sound, interactive exercises on topics included in the workbook, sound files parallel to the reading selections in the workbook, and additional materials that enhance the learning experience. The stability of the workbook, combined with the dynamic nature of the website and the internet searches the students are directed to conduct, allows language instructors to reshape the curriculum and adapt it to the needs of their students and the goals of their programs.

Demonstrating the pervasive presence of God in modern Hebrew literature, this book explores the qualities that twentieth-century Hebrew writers attributed to the divine, and examines their functions against the simplistic dichotomy between religious and secular literature. The volume follows both chronological and thematic paths, offering a panoramic and multilayered analysis of the various strategies in which modern Hebrew writers, from the turn of the nineteenth century through the twenty-first century pursued in their attempt to represent the divine in the face of metaphysical, theological, and representational challenges. Modern Hebrew literature emerged during the nineteenth century as part of the Haskalah (Jewish Enlightenment) movement, which attempted to break from the traditional modes of Jewish intellectual and social life. The Hebrew literature that arose in this period embraced the rebellious nature of the Haskalah and is commonly characterized as secular in nature, defying Orthodoxy and rejecting God. Nevertheless, this volume shows that modern Hebrew literature relied on traditional narratological and poetic norms in its attempt to represent God. Despite its self-declared secularity, it engaged deeply with traditional problems such as the nature of God, divine presence, and theodicy. Examining these radical changes, this volume is a key text for scholars and students of modern Hebrew literature, Jewish studies and the intersection of religion and literature.