From the Scroll to the National Language: Linguistic Ideology in the Hebrew Revival

Drawing on past scholarly research this essay discusses the Hebrew language revival, focusing on the sociolinguistic factors that led Hebrew to become the national language of Israel. The essay first traces the course of revival from its early roots in the Haskalah (Jewish Enlightenment) around 1750, until its completion in 1919. Then, two specific instances of language conflict are examined—the fight for the Technion (Polytechnic) in Haifa and the first Hebrew radio broadcasts in pre-state Israel, with particular attention being given to the ways in which language ideologies framed these events. The essay then describes the extent to which the linguistic situation in Israel today has changed, questioning whether the traditional model of one nation, one language is still appropriate in the current period. This argument has significance for contemporary understandings of linguistic ideology and statehood