החיפוש אחר שפה יהודית משותפת BeyondWords The Search for a Common Jewish Language The Jewish Federation of Greater Los Angeles Tel Aviv - Los Angeles Partnership Joint Teachers’ Seminar No. 9, December 2009 - 1 - Writing: Anna Kislanski Language Editing: Hamutal Levy Graphic design: Nurit Herskkovits, [email protected] llustrating Eliezer Ben Yehuda's figure: Izhar Shkedi - 2 - Kislev 5770, December 2009 Dear Educators and Coordinators, It is our pleasure, every year, to welcome you to the Joint Educators Seminar of the Tel Aviv - Los Angeles Partnership. The topic that we will explore this year, "Beyond Words - In Search of a Common Jewish Language", is a unique and creative topic that evokes ideas which do indeed extend beyond words. Languages, apart from being a form of verbal expression, also incorporate forms of artistic expression: in designing materials such as Judaica, in the art of acting whether in theater and film, in dance, in song, in music, in painting, and surely in architecture and landscape design as well. If we desire to do so, we'll be able to go even further and reach spheres that affect our daily lives, such as food and clothing. Jewish elements can be found in all of these. Language, in all its forms of expression, is a way to communicate, both through content as well as the representation of culture. The word "language" in Hebrew ("safa') is used to describe the tongue of communication (in all the aforementioned forms) and the part of the mouth through which the words emerge - "lips" ("sfatayim"). It is also used to describe the brims of objects (e.g. a cup filled to its "safa") or the edges of two different elements that do not mix with one another - such as "the safa of the ocean" (the seashore) or "the safa of the river" (the riverbank). The main objectives of this Seminar, which each year focuses on a topic of Jewish significance, are to offer inspiration and generate educational ideas and activities through which we can motivate the students in both communities to find a "common language", while at the same time preserving the "unique language" of each community in all the various contexts of the language. As coordinators of the twinning program at your schools, you create programs that enable students to uncover the common bonds they share with the students at the twinned school - bonds that are founded on their shared history and culture as members of the Jewish people - and which are reinforced by the culture and the values which they currently share and will share in the future, in all the languages they make use of. We greatly admire the efforts you have invested and thank each and every one of you for your commitment and dedication to this highly valuable program. You are all taking part in endeavors which guarantee the continued commitment to the partnership between the Jewish students in the Los Angeles community and the students in Tel Aviv. We wish to extend our deep appreciation to the excellent staff of the Tel Aviv - Los Angeles Partnership, for the long hours and hard work they have invested in organizing and coordinating all the aspects associated with preparing the Joint Seminar, for the workshops, and for the educational and administrative work that they provide to the twinning program throughout the year. We wish all of us success at the Seminar, and hope that we will derive the maximum benefit and make use of language in the most positive manner possible. As our sages have already indicated: "Truthful lips endure forever" (Proverbs 12:19). Sincerely, Dr. Bruria Agrest Susan Jacoby-Stern Chair of the Education Committee Chair of the Education Committee In Tel Aviv In Los Angeles - 3 - I have a language and country יש לי שפה ומדינה And vocal harmony that's awaiting והרמוניה קולית שממתינה With some friends עם כמה חברים …Who are walking and singing on the way שהולכים ושרים בדרך.. This song is ready from now on השיר הזה מעכשיו מוכן To connect us here אותנו כאן לחבר And if we sing then when the time comes ואם נשיר אז בבוא הזמן .Perhaps we'll begin to speak אולי נתחיל לדבר Shlomo Gronich שלמה גרוניך - 4 - החיפוש אחר שפה יהודית משותפת BeyondWords The Search for a Common Jewish Language Dear Coordinators and Colleagues, This pamphlet is designed to accompany the Ninth Joint Educators Seminar, held for the communities of educators from Tel Aviv and Los Angeles. This seminar constitutes an additional tier in our educational work, through which we aim to strengthen the bonds between the two communities and create a common language and a developing and creative culture. The subject of this year's seminar is the Hebrew language, marking the 100th anniversary of the publication of Ben Yehuda's dictionary, Jewish languages and language as a metaphor. This topic offers us an infinite array of possibilities for study, listening, reflection and creativity. We'll explore the importance of the Hebrew language in Jewish culture as well as its contribution to the renewal of the Jewish entity in the State of Israel. We'll reflect upon the meaning of words and texts in Jewish tradition and culture. We'll attend a discourse dealing with Jewish languages, such as Yiddish and Ladino, and how they have influenced the culture and the spoken language. This year we'll experience Shabbat in Tel Aviv, including many of the diverse possibilities that the city has to offer us. The pamphlet presents the seminar's rationale and its place in the sequence of seminars which have taken place thus far. It also provides details about the seminar itinerary. Each and every day focuses on a particular topic and issues that provoke thought and discussion, coupled with source material for further inspiration and enrichment. We'll take part in an interesting symposium, we'll attend a production of the play "The Dybbuk" - which has won international acclaim and awards - and we'll also experience metaphorical languages, such as video art and Jewish music. We'll see a collection of Judaica and experiment with plastic art. The numerous workshops that we'll experience are also cited in the pamphlet. Much thought, planning, creativity and work have been invested in this seminar, both on the part of the educational staff in Tel Aviv as well as the educational staff in Los Angeles, and both on the part of the steering committees that were set up for the purpose of the seminar on both sides of the globe as well as the professionals who have contributed their leadership and their insights. We extend our thanks to all those who have assisted in preparing the seminar: to Dr. Bruria Agrest and Mrs. Susan Jacoby-Stern - the joint chairs of the Education Committee, to Hagar Shoham-Marko - Director of the Partnership, to Dafna Lev - Director of the Municipality's Education Administration, for her advice regarding the content of the seminar and her ongoing involvement, and to the educational staffs, and in particular Sherry Davis and Anna Kislanski - for their endless devotion and investment. Thank You! We hope that this seminar will empower our work as educators, will equip us with ideas and materials for classroom study, will enhance the itineraries of our delegations, and strengthen the ties between us as educators of the future generation. Sincerely, Haya Ben Dror, Ahuva Ron, Education Director in Tel Aviv Education Director in Los Angeles Tel Aviv - Los Angeles Partnership Tel Aviv - Los Angeles Partnership - 5 - עיריית תל אביב יפו מינהל החינוך התרבות והספורט לשכת מנהלת המינהל Tel-Aviv-Yafo Municipality Education, Culture and Sports Administration The Office of the Administration Director December 3, 2009 Dear Educators, Language, in general, is a fascinating topic which is important to address it. Language is an aperture to culture. When we learn a language, we also learn about a nation>s culture. The Hebrew language - throughout all its chronological periods and whether the language of the Bible, the language of the sages, the language of liturgists, the language of the army or the language of the «Gashashim» (comedy group), etc., both spoken and written language, is the mirror of our culture, of the Jewish people who live both in and outside of Zion, in the past as well as the future. In a lecture delivered to literature teachers and educators, the author Amos Oz reiterated the importance of the Hebrew language as the foundation of our identity. The language carries with it cultural traditions from the past and from the present. Recently, much has been said about the shallowness of the language spoken by young people and the detachment from the vocabulary used in the past. The language of the Bible and liturgy, or that of Agnon, sounds like a foreign language to them. There is a feeling that something must be done. I embrace the choice that was made to deal with this subject at the Joint Seminar being held here, in Israel, and perhaps from Zion the message will come forth. Sincerely, Dafna Lev Director of the Education, Culture and Sports Administration - 6 - Table of Contents About the Joint Educators Seminar: A Brief History and Presentation of the Seminars' Continuum ................................................ 10 The Ninth Joint Educators Seminar: "Beyond Words: In Search of a Common Jewish Language" - Presentation of the Rationale ........................... 11 The Program of the Ninth Joint Educators Seminar ................................................................. 12 Thursday, 30 Kislev, December 17, 2009 A Workshop to Get Acquainted: Mother Tongue - Shari Davis, Anna Kislanski .................... 21 'My Mother Tongue' - Ehud Manor 'A Yiddishe Mama' - Sophie Tucker Introductory activity related to the topic of language Lecture: "Eliezer Ben Yehuda and the Revival of the Hebrew Language" - Ruvik Rosenthal ............................................................................................................................