Is Haredi Hebrew LOSHN KOYDESH? Language Ideologies and Practices among Hebrew-Speaking Haredim (Ultra-Orthodox) (Hebrew)

• In Event: Religious language ideologies and multilingual textual practices

Abstract

The revival of Hebrew as a spoken language encountered resistance from Haredim, who associated it with Zionism and secularism. Accordingly, various Haredi groups retained Yiddish as their primary language, upholding a negative attitude toward modern Hebrew as distinguished from LOSHN KOYDESH, the ‘holy tongue’ of Jewish religious literature. Nevertheless, most Haredim in Israel embraced Hebrew as their primary or sole language.

My paper explores a relatively uncharted strategy employed by Hebrew-speaking Haredim to navigate the long-standing Haredi opposition to modern Hebrew which became their dominant language: differentiating their Hebrew from that of general Israeli society. The study examines the linguistic ideologies and perceptions of Hebrew-speaking Haredim toward these varieties of Hebrew and the intricate relationship between linguistic ideology and practice. It proceeds from a comprehensive linguistic and socio-linguistic analysis, utilizing a range of sources: a spoken “Haredi Hebrew” corpus, illuminating the language and meta-linguistic discourse; written Haredi materials containing meta-linguistic commentary, such as newspaper articles; and interviews with Hebrew-speaking Haredim.

Regarding ideology, I will illustrate how Haredi discourse distinguishes Haredi Hebrew from “secular Hebrew,” including explicit references to the ostensibly more sacred nature of the former. In terms of practice, I will describe the linguistic tactics used by Haredim to establish and maintain the “sanctity” of their Hebrew. I will also reveal a certain gap between the ideological goal of protecting Haredi Hebrew from “non-sacred” influences and the inevitable influence of general Israeli Hebrew on Haredi language practice.

In essence, through linguistic distinctiveness, manifested in ideological linguistic attitudes and practical linguistic choices, Hebrew-speaking Haredim infuse their language with a sense of “sanctity,” making it a contemporary form of LOSHN KOYDESH. Haredi Hebrew correspondingly serves broader socio-cultural ideologies and practices centered around Haredi differentiation from secular society. This insight enriches our socio-linguistic understanding of Hebrew in Israel and the interplay between different linguistic choices and different socio-cultural identities.

Author

• Dina Sender, Hebrew University of Jerusalem