The Jewish world in the age of coronavirus – A special Israel Hayom project
Part II: How Hebrew has become viral
Some two years ago, Jewish Agency Chairman Isaac Herzog announced a new plan to instill Hebrew among the Jews of the world, saying that this is "a Jewish-national value and a birthright."
Some 240 of the agency's emissaries around the world have since put an emphasis on this goal, but even more so during the times of the coronavirus pandemic.
Follow Israel Hayom on Facebook and Twitter
"This language is our national and historical treasure, the bedrock of our culture and one of the most important tools we have to connect," says one of the agency's emissaries to North America, Freda Baram. "This is our anchor, and it can connect the young people, particularly these days. Once you have a common language as a basis, the conversation becomes much more intimate."
Baram says that one of the most popular ways in which emissaries like her have been teaching Hebrew is through the Israeli television drama Fauda, which tells the story of undercover Israeli forces fighting terrorists in Judea and Samaria. Its third season is now on Netflix.
"This helps us create a very vibrant atmosphere, and this generates discourses. We have to remember that many in the Jewish community constantly follow the news of what's happening in Israel , and now is the time to help make their connection to Israel even stronger, and if that is done in Hebrew, even better," she told Israel Hayom.
Dr Noga Kochavi, a senior official at the Education Ministry who is also a lecturer on Jewish nationhood, says that it is important to let people make their own choices, adding that emissaries "should not be agents of change, but rather people who shape reality" in the Jewish world. They constantly have to learn and become knowledgeable about the issues confronting their constituencies.
She welcomes the new partnerships between Israeli and Jewish schools overseas.
"Just recently, because of the coronavirus, I had the opportunity to prepare lessons on Jewish-Israeli culture as a reflection of the character of Jewish nationhood. For example, celebrating Passover in Rome or Shavuot in Boston. These lessons were part of the emergency lessons we created to deal with the coronavirus crisis, and they are now on video; they will be available for educators for many years to come. We made lemonade out of lemons," she told Israel Hayom.
Subscribe to Israel Hayom's daily newsletter and never miss our top stories
