Reverse Tower of Babel: Hebrew uniting Jews

When a united humanity speaking the same language tried to build a tower to reach the heavens, G-d confounded their speech. But in the early days of modern Israel, a clash of tongues made life difficult—until Hebrew became “the glue that brought the people together,” says Rabbi Eliezer Ben-Yehuda, grandson of the “Father of Modern Hebrew” bearing the same name.

“Imagine if David Ben-Gurion had delivered the 1948 Declaration of Israeli Independence in Yiddish. Israel would not only be a different country, but Israelis would know a different existence,” Rabbi Eliezer said last month in New York at the first event of a new initiative called “Hagigah Ivrit”—a cultural series and festival featuring educational lectures, film screenings, Israeli music, art, and social activities for children and adults.

A collaboration of the Israeli-American Council (IAC), the Steinhardt Foundation for Jewish Life, and the Council for Hebrew Language and Culture, Hagigah Ivrit provides a platform for individuals and families seeking to both learn the Hebrew language and deepen their connection with Israel.

Framing the cultural series thematically, Rabbi Eliezer describes how the life and times of his grandfather highlights the fundamental magic of Hebrew. The elder Ben-Yehuda insisted that his wife speak only Hebrew around their children. He spent his family’s meager savings on a start-up newspaper in which he published articles in Hebrew and provided lists of newly invented words, eventually creating the first Hebrew dictionary.

Initially, Israelis were resentful of Ben-Yehuda’s efforts to modernize Hebrew, yet curious to learn each neologism he published. His grandson sings verses from an Israeli folk song that pokes fun at his grandfather’s legacy: “Eliezer Ben-Yehuda, an amusing man, words upon words he invented in his feverish mind.” He notes that it was never easy growing up a “Ben-Yehuda” in Israel due to high expectations for his grandfather’s progeny.